Instinct
by Jewcika
Summary: When a mishap between Vlad and Danny brings unexpected results, a young Dan - altered by the circumstances - will have to figure out if his nightmares are a prelude to a darker truth, and if there's really such a thing as destiny. Mpreg, full summary ins
1. The Wrong Place at the Wrong Time

**Full summary:** Some things really are inevitable, but that doesn't mean that one can't work to change the future. When a Truce Party mishap between Vlad and Danny results in the bizarre rebirth of Dark Dan Phantom, will the two unwillingly partnered arch-enemies be able to prevent a dark future from taking place? While Vlad and Danny are out to prove that good can alter evil just as evil can corrupt good, a young Dan, altered by the circumstances, will have to figure out if his nightmares are a prelude to a darker truth, and whether there's really such a thing as destiny.

**Notes:** Yes, I know, it sounds weird and ultimately like crack. And, really, it is - I mean, come on, it involves the love child of two male arch-enemies who also happens to be the reincarnation of their combined evil ghost halves - of_ course _it's gonna be weird. But more than that it's a story that will give an alternate-universe Dan humanity and redemption - one where he's still Danny and Vlad, and he's still Dark Danny - but at the same time he's_ not_. It's just the premise it's set up with that happens to be crack-tastic, but it's little Dark's story through and through.

That said, there's a few concepts of mine that might be a bit complicated. This fic uses original ideas about how ghosts are born, the "death" of ghosts, and the concept of ghost mates - so feel free to ask questions about anything that doesn't make sense. I've tried to make this make as much sense as possible, considering the circumstances, and things such as ghost pregnancy will have a lot of "how"s to them.

Phantom Planet did not happen. This starts off a year and a bit after "D-Stabilized," and Danny's in his last year of high school. My timeline is "Reality Trip" marks the summer before Danny's sophomore year, and "Claw of the Wild" marks the summer before his junior year. This story's mostly inspired by "Reign Storm" and (obviously) "The Ultimate Enemy." I think that's it, so on with the story!

**Warnings:** Violence, angst, mild language, male pregnancy, VladxDanny, Dan as Vlad and Danny's not-completely-evil love child.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. That'd be Butch Hartman.

* * *

**Prologue - The Wrong Place at the Wrong Time**

Seventeen year old Danny Fenton sat on a couch sipping some hard cider and watching Ember play her pop-rock renditions of several Christmas classics. He had to admit he felt happy, despite being surrounded by his enemies. Ironically, the Ghost Zone had a better atmosphere around Christmas-time than his own house did, what with his parents fighting tooth-and-nail over everything. And, though he'd never admit it, it felt great to be able to be in the Ghost Zone without worrying about being wasted. After so many visits, Danny realized that his ghost side felt revitalized by simply being in the place. Must be all that stray ecto-energy constantly floating around.

"Christmas cookie, dear?"

Danny turned to the voice that had just addressed him and had to shield his eyes from the fierce white glow that invaded his vision.

"Whoa. You're... really glowing," he said as he took a cookie from the tray the Lunch Lady held. She looked confused for a second before laughing.

"Well, of course, dear! You don't expect a pregnant ghost to have a dim glow, do you?"

Danny almost choked on the gingerbread man he was eating. "O-oh! Uh... congratulations, then," he said awkwardly, inwardly sighing in relief for not having screamed 'ew!' like he'd wanted. This was the time of year where everyone acted civil towards each other, after all. "Uh, the Box Ghost?"

The Lunch Lady blinked "Yes. How did you know?"

"Just a guess."

"Daniel!" Vlad's voice cut through the conversation, and Danny's sudden menacing glare seemed to cue the Lunch Lady to retreat. "Fancy meeting you here! Wait a minute - you're not _drinking_, are you?"

Yet half-ghosts seemed to be the breaking point for civil behavior, even during the Truce.

"What's it to you, Plasmius? You're not my dad," Danny snapped, not one to forget the recent dinner with his family and Vlad. His good mood further evaporated as the billionaire leaned against the couch and donned his signature evil grin.

"Not yet, I'm not. But I could very well _tell_ your father, couldn't I?"

"You could. And I could also tell him that his best friend's tried to kill him more times than I can count and has been in love with his wife for over twenty years."

Vlad's eyes narrowed. "Oh, come now, Daniel. Have you no Christmas spirit?"

"I did until you decided to come over. Couldn't you have stayed in your side of the room?"

"Well, excuse me, but if I'm not much mistaken, you should currently be in your own room at home, hmm? There would be no need to lie about your 'other activities' if you'd just come live with me, Daniel."

"Would you quit spying on me and my family, you creepy fruit-loop?"

As the two hybrids' voices began to escalate, Ember stopped her current song and glared at them from across the room. Many ghosts rolled their eyes at the hostility they had all come to expect for the past four years, by now knowing it was better not to intervene if they wanted to preserve some semblance of peace on Christmas. Skulker growled and downed his drink, hoping intoxication would make the long night of arguing ahead less annoying. As he saw his girlfriend stalking over to him, he closed his eyes and grabbed another glass of champagne.

"Those two dipsticks ruined my set again!" she screamed and began to complain about the half-ghost nemeses while Skulker nodded and grunted in acknowledgment whenever it seemed appropriate. Upon realizing the hunter wasn't listening, she growled in rage and stalked off to the side where Bullet and two other guards stood watch.

"Bullet! What are you standing around for? Where's Walker? Can't you do something about them?"

The other ghost shook his head and grit his teeth, obviously longing to blast the half-ghosts.

"'Fraid not. As long as there's no blasts or punches thrown around, they're technically not breaking the Truce. As for Walker, he's on a little... Christmas errand."

Desiree floated over, clearly amused by the whole thing. "What are they arguing about, anyways?"

"I doubt even _they_ know," Spectra replied. "Last I checked, they were fighting about desserts. Although their anger _is_ amusing."

Ember grit her teeth and tried to ignore Spectra and Desiree as they laughed over what was giving _her_ a major headache. Every year was the same thing! She hadn't even been able to finish a set of her songs since Phantom started showing up! And, of course, Plasmius seemed to come to the annual Truce Party simply to get into these arguments with the younger half-ghost. The satisfied smirk on the billionaire's face at the end of each night was proof enough of the fact.

"Alright, that's it! I can't take this anymore! Those two are going down!" the musician ghost yelled, fiddling with her guitar and turning the knob on it to the image of a fist.

Bullet roughly grabbed the neck of the guitar before she could strum it. "That'd be breaking the Truce, Ember."

She glared at him, then at Vlad and Danny, before a mischievous grin slowly made its way onto her face. "Fine, then. I have more than one trick up my sleeve. And it _is_ for the greater good..." She turned the knob to the image of a heart and looked questioningly at Bullet, whose lips twitched into a near-smile as he let go of the guitar and backed away. Spectra and Desiree squinted at the setting on the guitar and stared at her with their mouths open before breaking into matching evil laughs. Skulker frowned but said nothing as she flew over so that she was directly in front of the two hybrids, who failed to notice her amidst their heated feud. "Hey, lovebirds! If you're gonna fight like a married couple, you might as well tie the knot!"

And with that said, she struck a loud chord which reverberated throughout the room, causing a surprised Vlad and Danny to be blown against the couch. As the chord died, the half-ghosts blinked stars out of their vision while everything came back into focus. When the two locked eyes from opposite ends of the couch, they simply stared at each other for a while before Vlad broke the silence.

"Danny?"

Danny giggled.

"What're you doing all the way over there, Vlad?"

Vlad bared his fangs in an ecstatic grin before pouncing on the boy.

There were several catcalls and rather malevolent laughs from the other ghosts. Ember smirked and crossed her arms. "That should take care of them 'til morning."

"You know Plasmius is going to kill you for this, right?" Skulker said, seemingly perturbed by the image of his prey and employer currently cuddling together on the couch like lovestruck teenagers.

Spectra stared almost hungrily at the scene in front of her, Danny yanking at Vlad's hair and Vlad firmly gripping Danny's butt. "Or thank her. God knows the two've been making glowy-eyes at each other for years. Shame they don't know how to put such good chemistry to good use."

"It looks like they're using it _now_," the blue-haired ghost said with a grin as she watched the billionaire and the teenager make their way clumsily across the room before phasing through the wall in a tangle of limbs.

* * *

"Observant High Council, I bring to you today a ghost which has plagued the timeline with complications and committed countless atrocities in both our world and the human realm."

The guard/executioner in gray armor watched the orb as it broadcasted scenes of destruction to the ghosts assembled in the circular room.

"Countless lives and afterlives taken without remorse, the fall of more than one civilization, crimes too numerous to name!"

The guard's green eyes stared, impressed, at the images passing through the screen, no explicitness spared of blood and ectoplasm sprayed over streets and ghosts' lairs. He winced at a particular scene depicting the violent disembowelment of one ghost. Still, he could appreciate a powerful ghost when he saw one. Even if he broke about every rule in the book - though, it looked like this ghost made his _own_ rules in his time.

"Nearly eliminating a crucial member of the Council!"

A scene played out: a black-gloved, glowing clawed hand piercing the chest of a purple-cloaked figure. Glass scattering on the floor, a nearly unrecognizable green mass of ectoplasm struggling to maintain its form.

"Because of events which cannot be undone now, this ghost - the most evil ghost in history, past and future - now exists outside of time. Something must be done about this ghost once and for all! High council, what is your sentence for Dark Dan Phantom?"

_Phantom?_

The guard surveyed the ghost he was to execute skeptically as the High Council whispered among themselves. Not much of him could be seen; he was currently inside a high-security containment chamber in the middle of the room, the surface of the tube steadily sparking with what was obviously an energy shield meant to deliver great pain if one should attempt an escape. The ghost inside was wrapped in glowing green restraints that resembled a straitjacket. The guard studied his white flaming hair, chilling red eyes, and smug look. _Of course_, he thought. _That explains the outfit on the screen. But if this Phantom was taken from the timeline... Dear lord, _**_that's_**_ Phantom in the future?_

The ghost hovering inside the tube cleared his throat. "If I may, Council? While I do appreciate the compliments on my work," he ignored the one-eyed glares he got at this, "shouldn't you be dealing with the _root_ of your problems first?"

An Observant rose above the others gathered in the back of the room and spoke.

"Danny Phantom, at present, is under the guardianship of Clockwork. He has been deemed a non-threat by the Council on more than one occasion."

The guard frowned in confusion as the Observant floated back down to his seat and the others argued over what had just been said. Clearly, Danny Phantom was a point of debate among the Observants. _Danny Phantom's not a threat? So _**_this_**_ Phantom can't be the same Phantom as the punk. Though, there's obviously a connection..._

"...sentence the ghost in question to be executed immediately!"

The six other guards stepped up to Dark Phantom, and the green-eyed guard snapped out of his thoughts as he took his place in the cue. He positioned the staff he was to use to channel his ecto-energy so that it touched a panel on the containment/execution chamber. Phantom's sentence came as no surprise, since this had been scheduled to be an execution ceremony; the trial setting had merely been a formality.

"Have you any last words, Phantom?"

The green-skinned ghost raised an eyebrow and smiled darkly. "You'll regret not dealing with the problem at its source. It's only a matter of time, you know."

"...Guards, if you will."

The guard grinned as he began to send out jolts of ecto-energy through the staff and into the chamber. _I love this part of the job._ He looked up. Crimson eyes met pupilless green ones, and the guard involuntarily shuddered at the way the ghost looked at him. A second later, Phantom's screams filled the room as shocks were sent one after the other to his very core. Eventually, the screams began to die down until there was nothing left but a puddle of pure green ectoplasmic matter at the bottom of the tube. The guards backed away once the job was done, and the Observant who had led the sentencing opened the chamber to allow the ecto-matter to disperse itself like dust through the endless expanse that was the Ghost Zone.

Even though ghosts can be destroyed, their ecto-matter itself cannot. Once a ghost's form has been reduced to pure ecto-matter, nobody expects said ecto-matter to ever return to its previous state. The ghost's remains will usually wander the Ghost Zone aimlessly in the form of green tendrils of ectoplasm, unavoidably mixing with other matter in the Ghost Zone until they manage to create a new form.

Or until the ghost's remains find a more accommodating place for their essence.


	2. No News Is Good News

**Notes: **Alright, here we go! There's a lot of information to be given here. Especially about what Vlad and Danny's situation will be and how the whole "Danny's gonna be a momma!" thing works. And, of course, the plot of the story. Little Dark won't take the reins in this story until after the first few chapters. I'm anxious to get past the set-up of the story myself, but I'm having fun writing the Danny and Vlad-centric Act One regardless.

* * *

**Chapter One - No News Is Good News**

Danny shot up in bed, gasping for breath. He frantically looked around, and upon realizing he was in his room, let himself relax.

After more than a year, he'd thought he was over the whole "evil future self" incident. Apparently not, though, since he'd started having nightmares of that terrible alternate future again about a month and a half ago. That wasn't the only thing that had been off since then, however. A painful coldness suddenly spread through him along with a sick feeling in his stomach, confirming the fact.

Danny let his transformation rings wash over him, white hair and neon green eyes replacing his usual features. He sighed in relief as he felt his nausea go away and the numbing coldness be replaced with a pleasant warmth. He'd quickly discovered that the best way to make his strange symptoms go away was to go ghost.

Well, he was awake now. He might as well grab something to eat.

He phased through the walls and floors until he reached the kitchen, where he grabbed some fudge and leftover spaghetti. As he sat there quelling his suddenly ravenous hunger, he couldn't help but think over all the strange happenings lately. Particularly the strange behavior and even outright absence of his enemies. His last incident with Skulker had especially thrown Danny for a loop; he'd been caught in one of the hunter's phase-proof nets, but just as Danny had started to worry, Skulker had given him a quizzical look before letting him go and flying away. Maybe he had some sort of ghost disease other ghosts didn't want to catch? Was that why he'd been having all these weird things happening to him lately? Well, weirder than usual, in any case.

As Danny sat there wondering whether there was such a thing as ghost flu or ghost pox, a blue mist escaped him. He jumped to his feet and strained himself to hear anything that might be out of the ordinary as he circled the house, but there was nothing out there besides the chirp of crickets. He phased back inside and rolled his eyes.

"Great. Another false alarm. Maybe I _do_ have some sort of ghost disease. Ah, well, I'll figure it out in the morning."

And with that, Danny dumped his dirty plates in the sink and tucked himself back into bed, still in ghost form.

* * *

It felt like he'd just closed his eyes when his headboard was being blasted to pieces.

"Tell us where our baby is, ghost boy!"

Operating on pure adrenaline from his abrupt wake-up call, Danny flew clumsily out the window to escape his trigger-happy parents. After bumping into a few buildings and successfully waking up completely, the half-ghost phased invisibly into the bathroom, turning back into Danny Fenton. He groaned and leaned against the wall as he had to fight a sudden onslaught of nausea and a pounding headache from the transformation. "I hate mornings."

Danny braced himself as he opened the bathroom door, only to be met in a crushing hug from his mother.

"Danny, you're okay!"

Wincing from the way Maddie's shrill voice upset his headache, Danny responded, "Yeah, Mom, why wouldn't I be?"

"The Fenton Ghost Tracker said there were two ghosts in the house! We found that Phantom kid in your room, but we lost the other one," came Jack's enthusiastic (and painfully loud) voice.

"Oh, they won't get away next time," Maddie said as she charged her ectogun while Jack clicked away at the Fenton Ghost Tracker.

_"Two ghosts detected."_

"Oh, why do they always point to you, Danny?"

Danny laughed nervously. "Uh, yeah, must be broken again, huh? Anyways, I'm gonna get ready so I can get to school and far away from anything ghost-related."

After a quick shower and some painkillers for his headache, Danny stood in front of the mirror stalling as much as possible, since he could still hear his parents stomping around the house looking for wayward ghosts.

"Ouch!"

Taking the toothbrush out of his mouth, he gingerly touched his canines, wincing as he felt the same pain from just a second ago. _Great. On top of the ghost flu, I'm going to have to go to the dentist,_ he thought sullenly as he rinsed his mouth and examined his teeth in the mirror. Upon further inspection, however, he noticed something... different about his canines.

"That's weird..." Suddenly, a cold flash followed by a wave of nausea forced him to shut his eyes. "And that's even weirder. I'm gonna have to talk to Sam and Tucker about this."

Letting blue transformation rings wash over him, he sighed in relief as they took away his ill feelings. The relief didn't last long, and his nausea returned for a different reason as soon as he caught sight of himself in the mirror. He jumped back from his reflection and let out an involuntary scream. A knock on the door made him jump again.

"Danny, sweetie, are you okay in there?"

Danny took a second to calm himself before answering, "I-I'm fine, Mom! Just slipped!"

He listened until he was sure his mother was gone before he braved looking in the mirror again, and he couldn't help but grimace at the sight that met him.

Glistening in the mirror were a set of small but unmistakable _fangs_. Coupled with his blindingly white glow and the unusually strong green of his eyes, he looked simply bizarre.

"What's _happening_ to me?"

* * *

It took a while to calm himself down, but he eventually managed it. So, after a rushed breakfast while trying to avoid his parents, Danny finally made it to school. He spent his day in contemplative silence, oblivious to Sam and Tucker's worried looks. At last, it was their last class of the day, and the trio followed the crowd of students out into the hallway, Danny on autopilot as he continued with his private thoughts.

"Danny, are you okay?" Sam asked. "You've been quiet all day. And you didn't even complain when Lancer gave you detention this morning."

Danny blinked. "I got detention?"

"Point proven," Tucker said. "You've been really off lately, dude. What's up?"

Danny bit hit lip as he considered how much he should tell them, knowing they could overreact at times. "Actually, there is something I've -"

Just as they were walking by Dash's locker, Danny's ghost sense went off. He barely managed to catch sight of a small, winged ghost before the fast-moving specter took a nearby fire extinguisher and released the white foam inside over Dash's head, dropping the fire extinguisher at Danny's feet. The fact that it all happened in the span of about three seconds left Danny disorientated. Dash turned around and locked eyes with Danny, who looked from the fire extinguisher to the quarterback. "Aw, man."

"YOU'RE DEAD, FENTON!"

In a move that seemed almost as fast as the new ghost's own to an ill and confused Danny, Dash grabbed him by the shirt collar and threw him inside his open locker before slamming the door. _Damn it! I'm almost six feet tall, this thing shouldn't even be able to close!_ he thought, moving painfully as he tried to adjust himself inside the cramped space. The bell rang soon afterwards, and he was left to steam in his own anger as he waited for his friends to tell him it was safe to phase through the door.

"Coast clear, dude."

Danny phased out of the locker, gritting his teeth. Just as he opened his mouth to complain, his ghost sense went off again and he heard snickering above Sam and Tucker's heads. The same ghost that had gotten him stuffed in the locker was there.

"YOU!" Danny yelled while glaring at the ghost.

Danny didn't hesitate to transform, blasting the ghost only to have him dodge his every move. If he hadn't been in such a foul mood already, Danny might have had an easier time aiming. As it was, though, his rising temper found an outlet in his reckless ectoblasts, scorching walls and denting lockers.

"Danny? Danny!"

He could hear Sam but couldn't focus on anything but the small, giggling ghost. Why wouldn't the annoying thing hold _still_?

Just as he'd finished incinerating a trash can the small ghost had hidden in, Tucker sucked the thing into the Fenton Thermos. Danny was about to yell at him but paused when he noticed the frightened look on his friend's face. He turned to Sam, only to have her take a small step back. Stumped and angry, Danny exploded.

"WHAT?"

Sam cringed and stuttered out a response. "Danny... your eyes..."

Hearing the fear in her voice, Danny felt himself instantly calm down, anger replaced by worry. "What about my eyes?"

Sam opened and closed her mouth. After this went on for a few seconds, Tucker jumped in. "Danny... your eyes turned red for a second, there."

Danny laughed nervously and shook his head. "Yeah right, Tuck."

Tucker bit his lip and hesitated before typing something into his PDA. After a few seconds, he held up the screen for Danny to see. Tucker had gotten into the habit of recording his battles for future reference, and he was now showing Danny a video of his recent fight with the winged ghost. Danny frowned at seeing himself carelessly and unsuccessfully blast at the creature in a blind rage. After a few minutes of watching the screen in embarrassed silence, Tucker froze the video, and the image knocked Danny's breath out of him. A red-eyed Danny Phantom was staring back at him, baring his teeth and showing off sharp fangs, looking absolutely terrifying. Danny felt himself pale and floated a few inches off the ground so as to not fall over.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you kind of look like... well, you know," Tucker said in a soft voice, trying not to agitate his friend any more than he already was.

Danny felt dizzy. He could feel himself starting to panic, and he shook his head vigorously in both fear and disbelief.

This was beyond Sam and Tucker's help. This was beyond a phone call to Jazz.

He had to go see Clockwork.

* * *

Danny had gone to see Clockwork but, to add to his growing anxieties, he'd found the ghost's tower empty. The portal which showed the timeline had shown nothing but a lazily moving, flickering green orb in a blindingly white backdrop. After much searching, Danny had gotten creeped out both by the silent emptiness of the tower and the orb on the screen, which seemed to know it was being watched. He couldn't explain how he knew that about the green orb, only that the image made his stomach turn. He'd quickly flown away from the place, more scared than he'd felt in a long time.

Without his guardian of sorts to turn to, Danny opted to try his luck with Frostbite in the Far Frozen. He remembered they had a medical bay, so if this _was_ some sort of ghost disease (which, at this point, he was almost hoping for) then Frostbite would be able to identify what was wrong.

And so Danny now sat on an uncomfortable and cold chair waiting for Frostbite to look over some readings he had taken. Danny felt very much like he was in the doctor's waiting room as a kid, fidgeting and squirming in his seat. He'd told Frostbite everything he could think of that had been off with him lately, and Frostbite had simply nodded and smiled knowingly before shoving him into a chamber to take some readings on his vitals. After what seemed like hours but was, in reality, only minutes, Frostbite approached him with a broad grin on his face.

"Great One, after going over your symptoms and the chemistry your body's exhibiting, I'm now positive I know what the problem is, and it's wonderful news!"

Danny let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and sat up a bit straighter in his chair. "So I'm guessing that means I'm not turning evil and I don't have some sort of ghost pox. What's wrong, then?"

Frostbite's smile, if possible, became even wider. "Danny Phantom," he paused for dramatic effect, though the teen couldn't help but be a bit annoyed. "You have a child forming inside you."

Danny stared at him. He continued to stare as his mind tried to catch up with what the yeti-like ghost had just said. Then, he burst out in hysterics. "Good one! Aha, you almost got me!"

Frostbite cocked his head to the side. "This is no joke."

After some time, Danny calmed down enough to speak. "Dude, in case you haven't noticed, I'm a _guy_. And you're pretty much saying I'm pregnant," he said through stifled laughs.

Frostbite frowned at the teen. "You may be male, but you are also a ghost. Or at least part ghost. That means that to create a child, you need only have a ghost mate, regardless of gender."

Danny stopped laughing completely, a blank expression on his face. One could practically hear the gears turning in his head as he thought over all that he'd told Frostbite. _This is ridiculous! Why am I even considering this? Vlad and I couldn't... we can't..._

One and a half months. He'd suddenly began getting sick one and a half months ago. Right after the Truce Party, in fact...

_"Well, of course, dear! You don't expect a pregnant ghost to have a dim glow, do you?"_

Danny began to swoon in his chair, suddenly hyper-aware of the warmth in his ghost form. He unwillingly focused on the warm sensation in his body, and when he managed to pinpoint the exact location of it, his ghost sense left him in violent spurts of cold air.

_"The Fenton Ghost Tracker said there were two ghosts in the house!"_

And then, despite how crazy the whole thing was, he believed Frostbite. Because just then, he _knew_. The same way he'd known the orb in Clockwork's tower had felt itself being watched. He just knew.

Frostbite's face grew concerned as he watched the young half-ghost begin to shake, eyes wide and face pale. He placed a hand on his shoulder. "Do not be alarmed, Great One. It's a simple process, and it's so very rare that ghosts can bring other ghosts into existence. It's a wonderful occasion! You should be rejoicing!"

Danny slowly turned to look at him, his mind still reeling from the sudden focus it had taken on the light feeling that enveloped his body.

_I'm..._

"I... I have to go." And before Frostbite could stop him, he'd flown off full-speed towards the Fenton Portal.

* * *

It was two in the morning, yet Danny found himself sitting as Phantom in the Op Center, wide awake and head swarming with unwanted thoughts. He was staring blankly out the window, indulging himself in string cheese and lunch meat right out of the package. As he numbly reached for his glass of milk on the Op Center dashboard, he accidentally knocked the Fenton Ghost Tracker to the floor.

_"Two ghosts detected."_

Danny closed his eyes and sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I know."

Danny had tried not to do it, but he'd still found himself feeling for that strange foreign ghost signature that was _inside of him_ throughout the rest of the day. His ghost sense had been going off constantly since he'd managed to pinpoint the... the you-know-what. The feeling made him shudder despite the warmth he could feel fueling his ectoplasm, and his stomach turned at the idea of what now faced him.

Curiously enough, the thought of trying to get rid of the child hadn't crossed his mind. He was a _hero_, after all. He couldn't just kill off an innocent being, something which was so obviously alive - well, in a sense. He could feel the ghost signature thriving, and it was so strangely familiar; he supposed it felt that way because it'd been inside him for over a month. He shuddered. Inside of him... Oh, God.

He was so confused, he had no idea what the whole thing entailed or even if it was dangerous to his human side! How long would it take? Would he get fat? Would he have to tell his parents? What about his friends? Sam would _kill_ him - and Vlad, but he'd deserve it. And what was he supposed to do about the sick feeling that hit him in human form? He was now seriously regretting having left Frostbite's without first demanding some answers.

_Well, at least I'm not going through some evil ghost puberty like I thought I was. Oh, who am I kidding, I got_ _**knocked up by Vlad**__! There's no such thing as optimism right now!_

And then there was Vlad himself. After the spell had worn off sometime around Christmas morning, the two had jumped apart on the piece of rock they'd been on (of all places) and disentangled their naked bodies. They had both stuttered for a good two minutes before simply agreeing on "This never happened!"

They hadn't spoken to each other since, Vlad even having the decency to stay away from Fenton Works for the time-being. Now, the guilt and confusion he'd tried so hard to ignore had come back full-force, along with newfound uncertainty and indecision. He'd slept with his forty-five year old male arch-enemy, for God's sake! One thing was drunk sex with Sam, but this was a whole other story. He wanted to feel disgust upon remembering that night, but the pleasant feelings and sensations Ember's spell had invoked were clear as day in his memory.

Oh, God. Would he have to tell Vlad about the kid... ghost... whatever it was? He didn't think he could bear it. As a matter of fact, Vlad probably couldn't either. No, he _couldn't_ tell Vlad.

Danny gave another miserable sigh. He was about to put another slice of ham in his mouth when it was suddenly lifted into the air, along with the rest of the package. "Not now. Please, not now."

"YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO PREPARE THE MEAT BEFORE YOU EAT IT!"

Danny turned to see the Lunch Lady floating behind him, looking more intimidating than usual, red eyes glowing and hair wild. Feeling particularly aggressive, Danny glared at her and got into a fighting stance. "I am _not_ in the mood right now, dude!" he yelled before grabbing the Fenton Thermos off a shelf.

Danny lunged at the Lunch Lady, but she managed to dodge his attack as well as the blue-white light of the thermos. Just as he aimed the thermos at her again, a giant steak flew at him seemingly out of nowhere, knocking the thermos out of his hands and across the room.

He formed an ecto-rope and launched it at her, only to have her dodge it again. He was tired, he was confused, he was hungry, and all he wanted was some peace and quiet for two seconds! He could feel his eyes glowing - whether red or a brighter green he didn't know. All he knew was that there was a pregnant ghost pelting him with meat and that if he couldn't use her as an outlet for his misplaced aggression, then the world would know what this pissed off Phantom was capable of real soon.

"I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE ME ALONE, I'M NOT IN THE MOOD!" he screamed, letting his irrational anger get the best of him. He felt a light tingling on his fingertips but thought nothing of it as he glared at the Lunch Lady. He'd been getting a lot of odd tingling lately, and this was not helping the situation!

Suddenly, all the floating meat fell to the floor with a sick splatting noise.

"Oh! Well, dearie, I'd certainly heard rumors, but I never really thought they were true!"

Danny looked at her quizzically, cursing the confusing nature of ghosts before he caught his reflection in a metal surface behind the Lunch Lady. He gasped at what he saw and dropped down from the air to the floor, taking a couple of fearful steps back. It was the second time he'd seen his red eyes, and the fangs weren't too horrific, but the gray-silver claws protruding from his hands were certainly new. He stumbled back and only just managed to catch himself against a control panel.

"Oh, God, how is this _normal_?"

A moment of silence followed Danny's desperate question as he stared holes through the floor, broken only by his agitated breath.

"You're not happy, dear?" asked the Lunch Lady.

Danny's head snapped up and he surveyed the ghost with fearful eyes. He suddenly felt the weight of the world come crashing down upon him with that single sentence. He tangled his fingers in his hair, groaning at the feel of claws becoming trapped in the white strands. "I-I don't even know how this happened! I don't know what's going on! I don't know what I'm going to _do_! I have school, my parents, my friends, Vlad - JUST HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO BE HAPPY RIGHT NOW?"

More silence followed his outburst. Danny felt his ghostly aura flare starting at his abdomen, as if the bundle of ectoplasm there were scolding him for his rejection. He felt his anger further descend into desperation, and he hid his face in his hands.

"What do you want to know, dearie? I'm sure I can help." As Danny shot her a suspicious and disbelieving look, she floated closer and, surprisingly enough, smiled at him. "You may be an enemy to us, but you're also carrying a ghost inside you. A small child. That's why you've been left alone, dear. Us ghosts may get a bit carried away, but we're not _cruel_. And the child _will_ be one of us, after all."

Danny stared at her a bit longer. After a few seconds, however, he deflated and floated down into a nearby chair. He sighed. "I guess... I don't really know _anything_ about this. All I know is that this is _somehow_ normal for male ghosts...?"

The green-skinned ghost nodded. "Yes! You see, a ghost child isn't a bundle of cells in a womb, but a mass of ecto-energy within a sort of cocoon of ectoplasm. If you have two compatible ghost energies, you can form new life. The baby stays inside the mother for about two-hundred days because it needs to constantly be feeding on his or her life energy in order to grow."

_In other words, it's a leech,_ he couldn't help but think. It would explain why he'd been feeling so exhausted. _Two-hundred days?_

"Will I get fat?" he found himself blurting out and he felt his cheeks color immediately afterwards.

The Lunch Lady smirked. "Just a bit, but you're too skinny anyways, dear. Usually ghosts can choose to eat or not, but it's a necessity when you're sustaining another ghost. You're going to have to eat a lot, so you can make up for lost energy," she said, then brightened up considerably. "A lot of meat, too. It's good for you and the baby!"

Danny swallowed, nodding numbly while looking down at his hands. Catching sight of silver claws, he looked up at the female ghosts again. "So what about these?" He held up his hands. "And my eyes? Are they somehow part of this whole thing?"

She nodded. "They're defense mechanisms, to protect the offspring. A mother's eyes will sometimes change color to look more intimidating. Claws are also common. Sharp teeth, flaming hair, and green skin, too." Danny nodded, immensely glad that he hadn't turned green and his hair hadn't turned into his evil future self's. He already looked too much like him for comfort.

"Alright. Uh, why do I feel sick and cold when I'm human? I mean, I feel fine in ghost form, only a little hotter," he asked.

"I can't say for your human side, dear. Ghosts don't feel sick while pregnant. Just a bit dizzy sometimes, but it's usually a very pleasant feeling - you'll feel light and fluffy for a while."

Danny made a face. "_Fluffy?_"

She smirked at him. "You'll see, dear. Oh, the temperature changes! I think your human side feels cold because you're carrying a ghost. We tend to feel cold, you know," she said patronizingly, and he realized it should've been obvious. "If you feel warm in your ghost form, though, it's probably because the baby has a hot core. It'll get _very_ hot when the baby's ready to come out. That's how you'll know."

Danny paled at the last bit, his eyes wide. "Oh. Uh, I... so... how is it supposed to...?" he trailed of, gesturing with his hands as if that would explain what he meant. "Well, you know..." The Lunch Lady simply stared at him with an eyebrow raised. He took a deep breath. "Howdoesitcomeout?" he said quickly, his words barely coherent.

The Lunch Lady chuckled and grinned maliciously, animosity not completely gone for her enemy despite the circumstances. "Intangibility, dear! It's very simple. You'll feel hot because the baby's energy flares will begin to break down its cocoon, and then it'll be up to the father to coax it out with his own intangibility, usually through your stomach or your chest." Danny opened his mouth to interrupt, but she shot him a look which made him shut up. "LET ME FINISH! Now, dear, once the baby's out, the father must provide it with his _own_ concentrated energy until it manages to create and hold its own form, which should only take about a day -"

"Wait, wait, wait!" he yelled, his mind trying to catch up with all the information being thrown at him, one bit in particular. "Is it really necessary to have the father do all that? Or, you know, to have the father present at all?

The Lunch Lady looked at him as if he'd just asked why two plus two was four. "_Of course_ the father has to be involved! The child won't be able to survive without the presence of both his parents' life energies until it reaches full maturity! That would be after about two decades," she explained in a snappy tone. "Either way, it would be impossible for you to make it through the pregnancy without your mate. The baby will constantly be feeding off of you, do you really think food will be enough to replenish your energy supplies? No! You'll need your mate's energy for that!" At this point, Danny was shaking under the Lunch Lady's menacing scowl. Looks like he wasn't the only one whose teeth had gotten sharper. Suddenly, she shot him a calm smile and said in a sweet tone, "So if you want this child - and yourself - to be okay, you'll have to involve Plasmius, dearie."

That was enough to snap Danny back into a coherent state. "Hey! Why do you assume it was Plasmius?"

The Lunch Lady blinked. "Isn't it obvious? You're both half-ghosts, you're obviously the best match to be each other's mates. It's all over the Ghost Zone."

"HE'S NOT MY MATE!" he boomed, face flushed and eyes red.

The Lunch Lady gave him yet another patronizing look. "Then how did you create a child?"

Danny stuttered incoherently before sighing and shaking his head, running a now clawless hand through his white hair. "Look, I'm still not sure how it happened. But... you know what, never mind. Thanks, I guess, for explaining things to me. I suppose it wouldn't really be fair to suck you into the thermos now, would it?"

The Lunch Lady nodded. "Oh, don't worry, dear. Like I said, even ghosts have boundaries. Especially since a pregnant ghost isn't a daily occurrence. You'll be left alone - at least for now."

Danny managed a grateful yet awkward smile as the Lunch Lady phased out of the Op Center. He closed his eyes for a couple of minutes before opening them again and deciding it was a good idea to go to bed. He looked around at the meat scattered on the floor. "Okay, I am _not_ cleaning this up." He finished up his glass of milk before ectoblasting it in favor of washing it - he was too tired right now - and phased down to his bedroom to rest his reeling head.

* * *

"I'm tellin' you, Bullet, you should've seen this future Phantom character," Walker drawled out, making his second-in-command roll his eyes.

"Yes, I know, you've only mentioned it about a thousand times in the past month, now would you _stop_? He's gone now, he's of no use to you."

The warden shook his head, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Nah. Nah, ghosts like that don't just go quietly. Even Pariah made a comeback when that other half-ghost freed him. Nah, this is one of those ghosts who stick around long after their end. You'll see that I'm right."

"What, are you gonna ransack the Ghost Zone hoping to pull a Plasmius?"

Walker grinned at him. "You know, that ain't a half bad idea," he replied.

"Right. Because ghosts will just step aside to let you search their lairs for the rogue remains of some homicidal ghost - who, might I add, would've probably ended your afterlife if he'd had the chance. Plasmius learned that the hard way with Pariah," he said, surprised both at Walker's fixation and stupidity over the December execution. "Besides - ghosts wouldn't step aside in general nowadays, in case you haven't noticed."

Walker glared at Bullet, though it wasn't directed at him so much as it was at the situation. Ghosts had, indeed, been acting rebelliously, favoring wreaking havoc over leaving each other alone as was the usual case. Perhaps it was because most had cut down on harassing Danny Phantom once news of the second ghost pregnancy in centuries had gotten around, but that didn't mean it was any less trouble for Walker. "I MAKE THE RULES AROUND HERE! The Ghost Zone's just goin' through a rough patch. I'll restore order soon enough. Those punks won't keep getting away with anything for long."

"Mmhm. Tell that to the ghosts who've been waltzing right out of your prison like it's nothing. They're more scared of Phantom now than they are of you, with his recent rampages." Bullet snorted, a mocking laugh escaping him. "Hah! Who would've thought, right?"

Walker groaned, not wanting to think about the trouble yet another half-ghost would mean for him. Particularly if the kid's parents were two of the most powerful ghosts around, what with their constantly growing powers and Plasmius' ruthless nature. "Let's just hope their spawn knows how to stay in its place. Half-ghosts are the biggest rule-breakers of all. Their very _existence_ breaks half the rules in the book." All of a sudden, a crackling sound interrupted their conversation.

_"Walker? We've got a situation,"_ a voice came over the intercom on Walker's desk.

"Not again," the warden ghost mumbled to himself and rubbed his temple. He pressed the button on the intercom and snapped at the other ghost, "What is it _this_ time?"

_"Another riot in Sector B. Prisoners 184B, 184C, and 195C have escaped."_

Walker growled and his eyes glowed even more intensely. "Well then, you better start blastin' and get them back, officer. Because if you don't, you'll be held responsible. And you'll have to answer to _me_, got it?"

_"But, sir -"_

Walker blasted the intercom off his desk, immediately regretting it when he realized he wouldn't be able to be briefed on the situation now. "I just don't understand what's causing all these ghosts to suddenly go nuts like this. To actually lose fear of _my prison_! Of _me_! They should think it suicidal to cross me!"

Bullet hesitated before replying. "I've been thinking, sir. Could it be energy upsets? It's not unheard of that they cause restlessness in the Ghost Zone."

"Don't be ridiculous, Bullet," the other ghost snapped with a roll of his eyes. "The Ghost Zone hasn't seen energy upsets since Pariah's rule. You don't see yourself struggling to get past barriers of ecto-energy from wasted ghosts, do you?"

"I'm only saying it's a possibility. I mean, you did say that ghost the High Council wasted was real powerful, right?"

"You idiot, one wasted ghost isn't enough to cause the Ghost Zone to be turned on its axis!" he exclaimed, then paused. A grin suddenly appeared on his face. "But _two_ powerful ghosts might be."

"Sir?"

Walker didn't reply for some time, though it was mostly to annoy the other ghost. Finally, just as Bullet had to hold himself back from snapping at his superior, Walker responded, "I trust you've heard of the Master of Time, Bullet?"

Bullet looked at him in bewilderment before his only visible eye widened. "Of _course_ I have. Everyone has! But I thought he was merely injured when that ghost escaped?"

Walker shook his head and smirked. "The Observants call it that, but ol' Clockwork was nearly _wasted_. He was a downright mess, nothin' but a puddle on the ground. Definitely enough for the Ghost Zone to steal a little something of spectral energy. You and I wouldn't have survived that, that's for sure. I don't understand how a ghost that powerful could've let himself get throttled like that, but you get buffoons everywhere, I suppose. Never have agreed with the Council myself," he said. "But that's besides the point. Let's go back to that energy upset theory of yours, Bullet. Now, we both know that the last energy upset was caused by Pariah himself disrupting the stray ecto-energy of who knows how many ghosts that he wasted himself. A couple weak ghosts would be worthless, no harm done... but if you get a couple of really _powerful_ ghosts..."

"...With a ghost as powerful as the Master of Time himself -"

"Coupled with a ghost who single-handedly managed to take over both the Ghost Zone and the Real World, you'd be onto something. Of course, nothing like it was in Pariah's time, but enough to make ghosts get a little rowdy."

Bullet swallowed and frowned. "If that's the case, then it'll be a _long_ time until things get settled around here again. And it'll only get worse before it gets better. Looks like you're stuck, Walker."

Walker glared at him, mumbling incoherently under his breath before grabbing some files from his desk drawer and occupying himself. They sat in silence for several minutes, Bullet keeping guard by the door and Walker looking over the files of the escaped prisoners. Then, Walker looked up at Bullet with a curious look on his face.

"Bullet?"

"Sir?"

"Whatever happened to the Crown of Fire, again?"

"Plasmius got a hold of it. Not sure what he did with it, though it wouldn't do much good without the Ring of Rage," he replied, frowning in confusion at the odd question. His superior's malevolent grin which followed his answer confused him even more.

"Actually, you'd be surprised what that little crown can do. I think I've got a way to solve the problem with the overactivity in the Ghost Zone. Or at least find a way around it - a way which will turn out in _our_ favor."

* * *

**End notes**: Okay. So. Energy upsets, one of my ideas to fuel the Instinct universe (ya see, I've got big plans for this little series). So here we go: basically, all the green stuff you see floating around in the Ghost Zone is pure ectoplasm - which ghosts are made of. When a ghost "dies" or when he's so damaged that he loses his form, all that ectoplasm has to go somewhere. And that would be straight back to the Ghost Zone, where ghosts are constantly surrounded by it. The ectoplasmic energy revitalizes the core of a ghost. Now, compatible collections of energy can form into new ghosts, which happens all the time; usually ghosts like the ectopusses, animal ghosts, or weaker ghosts in general form like this. Stronger ghosts are created by combining the compatible energies of two ghost mates. In the Instinct universe, most ghosts were once alive, but other ghosts like Vortex, Nocturne, and Frostbite were born ghosts and have been around for a while. The creation of ghosts through mating is a rare occurrence; you don't see a bunch of little kids like Box Lunch running around with their parents behind them, right?

Well, that's pretty much all that's to be said for now. Any questions? Comments? Rocks and fruit you'd like to pelt me with? Well then, go ahead and click that little review button down there!


	3. A Good Conversation Piece

**Notes:** And here's where Vlad comes in. And you guys know how he gets when he finds out he's going to be a father to a kid with Maddie's genes, even if it's with his underage male arch-enemy. :D

So I've got a very busy week with mid-term exams and projects, and this weekend I'm going home to Arizona so no writing's getting done while I'm there. Probably pretty busy next week, too. In other words, the next update will be slower than the past couple have been, so here's a nice, long chapter.

* * *

**Chapter Two - A Good Conversation Piece**

Danny stood on Vlad's doorstep, glaring at the door as if it had offended him somehow. "Stupid fruit loop. Stupid Ember. Stupid energy-sucking leech babies. Stupid Jazz," he muttered to himself.

He'd been standing there for a good ten minutes, alternating between hovering his fist above the door and pacing the path in front of the mansion. The first and only person he'd talked to the day after his conversation with the Lunch Lady had been Jazz. Not only was it much easier and less awkward to speak with somebody who was several miles away in Princeton, but she'd also always been the voice of reason in his life. A voice of reason which he was severely lacking nowadays.

The conversation had started out normally enough, but she'd quickly been able to tell that something was off. It only took her asking what was wrong for him to break down and tell her everything that had been going on; from the Truce Party, to how he felt about having slept with Vlad, to Clockwork's lair and the Far Frozen, to his conversation with the Lunch Lady, and back to everything he knew and how he was falling apart at being faced with something he never would've thought he'd be faced with.

After getting over the shock of Danny's long, slightly hysterical story, Jazz had been the comforting sister he knew her as and had advised (i.e. demanded) that his next step be to go to Vlad's. It was the only logical thing, considering what he knew about trying to fare without his "mate" (why was everyone so insistent on calling Vlad his mate, anyways?). They'd decided that he'd figure things out with Vlad, then tell Sam and Tucker, then see how much he would tell his parents. The latter was possibly the hardest thing Danny would have to do, given that he'd have to tell them about everything from his alter-ego to Vlad's ghost half.

Danny shook his head, overwhelmed by all the responsibilities that had suddenly been thrust upon him. He'd thought he couldn't have more responsibilities than he did being the town hero, but apparently he'd thought wrong. Things could be much worse. Taking a deep breath, Danny resigned himself to his fate and, hesitantly, knocked on the door.

Danny winced at every footstep he heard on the other side of the door just before Vlad opened it with a surprised look on his face. "Daniel! What are you doing here?" he asked awkwardly. At the less-than-warm welcome which was the norm whenever Danny chose to willingly visit his arch-enemy's home, Danny felt himself grow irate.

_Who is __**he**__ to feel awkward? After what he did to me, he's got no right!_

With that sudden switch in mood, Danny casually walked inside, pushing Vlad out of the way to get through the door. He took off his jacket and tossed it at a startled Vlad, who barely managed to catch it. Danny didn't hesitate in going ghost once inside the mansion, sighing in relief at the pleasant sensations his ghost half invoked. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Vlad shielding his eyes from his ghostly glow with a perplexed look on his face. Danny glared before smirking malevolently at the older half-ghost.

"Hey, jerk. Happy Father's Day."

"...It's not Father's Day today." Vlad said, ignoring the insult. He surveyed closely Danny, bewildered by his strange behavior. After a pause, a thought occured to him and he grinned. "But if this is your way of telling me you're finally renouncing Jack and acknowledging me as your father, then -"

"Hah! Not gonna happen, and I can't believe you're still going on about that after the Truce Party."

Vlad winced before sending his own glare back at the white-haired teen. "Daniel, I don't think we should be talking about this. Now, do you plan on explaining why you're here and wishing me a happy Father's Day?"

"Oh, just some interesting news," Danny chided, the smirk on his face beginning to greatly trouble Vlad. "I'm guessing you haven't heard any rumors from the Ghost Zone, lately?"

"I haven't," Vlad responded slowly. As a matter of fact, he hadn't been able to get in touch with Skulker, his usual bringer of ghostly gossip, in quite some time. Almost as if the ghost were avoiding him, really. He eyed Danny suspiciously. "Why?"

At the question, some of Danny's anxieties returned to him. Coupled with a sudden infuriation with the other man, along with some other completely unwanted feelings he was sure were originating from his warm abdomen, he found the courage - or perhaps recklessness - to push on with the confession. "Oh, no reason. Just, you know, thought I'd let you know that we kind of had an accident that one night at the Truce Party." Vlad stared at him, not understanding what he was talking about or why he was so willing to bring this up. Danny sat cross-legged in the air, fixing the gloves on his hands before continuing. "You kinda got me pregnant. You know, _ghost_ pregnant, since I'm a guy and all."

Vlad stared at him as if he had just grown another head. Or something that _wasn't_ normal when it came to ghostly power mishaps. He felt his patience dwindling, already having felt bad enough about what he did to Danny before the younger half-ghost had come barging into his home. Just _why_ on Earth did he come here to feed him these ridiculous tales? "Daniel, if all you came here for is to make this situation even more uncomfortable than it already is with your off-color jokes, then I do think you should leave now."

Danny frowned in anger, upset that his confession hadn't been taken seriously. He was sure he felt a churning inside him from the baby's own anger at being rejected by his father. "Vlad, read my lips: I'm. Freaking. Pregnant."

The man merely rolled his eyes. "Enough, Daniel. Now, if you'd be so kind as to leave my -"

"Can you sense ghosts?"

"Sorry?"

"Can you sense ghosts?" he repeated. "You know, like my ghost sense."

"I don't see how that's relevant -"

"JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION!" Danny yelled, floating up to Vlad's face with eyes that were suddenly red and... were those _fangs_? Vlad gulped and leaned far back, more intimidated than he ever remembered being of the younger half-ghost.

"Yes, I can sense ghosts _and_ half-ghosts! Now, would you calm down?"

Danny backed away and relaxed, his eyes turning green again. Vlad felt his own tense shoulders fall. Unexpectedly, though, Danny grabbed Vlad's hand and placed it on his stomach. "Daniel! What..." he trailed off when he felt himself exhale hot steam. He could feel a ghost signature which was certainly not Daniel's, and it was coming straight from Daniel himself!

What was confusing Vlad the most was that, although the signature wasn't Daniel's, it still had his feel of sorts. He should know, since he'd trained himself to recognize the slightest of ghostly energy readings that could come from Danny. It was then that he noticed the heat eminating from where his hand was, even through Danny's spandex suit. The heat felt much like the heat of his own ghost sense, and just as personal as his hot ectoplasm. His heart was beating faster, an itching he couldn't ignore telling him _something_ in the back of his mind. Suddenly, he felt his heart skip a beat as he felt some of his own ghost energy being removed from him, paying no mind to Danny's gasp of surprise at the sensation. The composure the billionaire usually had quickly left him.

"I-I don't...! Daniel, what..." Danny gave him a somber look and he felt himself pale. "...You're serious, aren't you?"

Danny nodded, slowly letting go of the iron grip he had on Vlad's hand. Vlad held his hand close to his chest, clenching his fist and remembering the foreign feel. He looked the younger half-ghost and paused.

"And you're sure it's mine?" he asked and immediately regretted it when Danny's eyes flashed red again.

"Are you calling me a slut?" Danny growled with a glare, making the other half-ghost gulp and back away.

"No! I just - I meant - oh, butter nuts." Vlad pinched the bridge of his nose, a resigned expression adorning his face before he beckoned for Danny to follow him into a nearby sitting room. "Come on, I'll make some tea. We're going to have to have a long talk, it looks like."

* * *

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The sound filled the study, surprising in the billionaire's home, given that it was two in the morning. He was staring into the fireplace in front of him, tapping his index finger on the arm of his chair, his face void of any emotion. He'd just returned from hunting down Skulker in the Ghost Zone, not having missed the looks and snickering from other ghosts as he'd passed. A couple intimidating looks here and a few ecto-blasts there, however, had taken care of that. Skulker had turned out to be a good source of information - albeit an unwilling one. What ghost wanted to have the ghost version of "the talk" with their employer, after all? Unfortunately, there was now no doubt in his mind that Danny was indeed pregnant.

The thing that was bothering him, however, was what he'd learned about ghost mates. Or soulmates, as the full term put it. Ghost mates were bound for afterlife, their cores - their very souls compatible in ways impossible to attain with anyone else. The insinuation that he was Daniel's mate disturbed him, but even more troubling was the fact that only ghosts who were mates could have children. The perfect compatability of the mates' energies was what made it possible to create life. It was the reason why the entirety of the Ghost Zone was now convinced the two were mates.

But surely it must work differently for half-ghosts! The fact that they were both half-ghosts was probably the only reason why this had been able to occur, anyways! Plus, he hadn't shown any of signs of ghostly attraction that the protective mate showed towards the aggressive mate (the child-bearer, which Daniel obviously was). His eyes didn't change color when he was around Daniel, and Daniel's own eyes never changed color unless he was angry, so Vlad obviously wasn't giving off any scents to attract his arch-nemesis. His _much younger_ arch-nemesis. Vlad sighed exasperatedly and rubbed his temple. Yes, this whole "pregnancy" thing was obviously just another side-effect of their ghostly halves.

A side effect with an insane amount of complications...

Vlad's earlier conversation with Danny hadn't been a particularly pleasant one. It had been very difficult to talk to the boy, especially since they were still enemies and his mere presence seemed to infuriate Daniel. From the information he'd coaxed out of Skulker, it seemed that ghosts also had mood swings during pregnancy; unfortunately, they consisted only of rage and giddiness. And, given that this was _Vlad _who Danny had been speaking with and that the boy had a temper to begin with, the former had been the only emotion Danny had shown. Vlad honestly hoped he'd never have to be on the receiving end of those claws again.

He'd made sure to bring up anything involving Danny's future. Since he was human, his pregnancy could be vastly different from that of a normal ghost. Somehow, Vlad didn't think that the baby would take the traditional two-hundred days to form, or that it would be a full ghost. The concept of another half-ghost like themselves excited the billionaire despite how overwhelmed he'd been, and he'd been quick to share the speculation. It backfired when the moody half-ghost had threatened him to accept the child as it was, ghost or not, or else. Vlad hadn't pushed it any further.

They'd briefly covered Danny's plans for college, which Vlad fully intended to pay for at this point. However, he'd been more concerned with the fact that Danny planned to tell his parents _everything_. Including his own well-guarded secret. He'd immediately began a fervent protest against the idea. That had also been the first time during the conversation that he'd seen Daniel's new claws up close.

Now, he'd been forced to reschedule his business meeting in Japan and actually push it _forward_ to that weekend, when Danny planned to talk to his parents. It was of course, first and foremost a business meeting. Vlad would never admit that he was terrified of the implications. Nor that he wanted to be as far away as possible from Maddie when she found out that her half-ghost friend of twenty years who'd tried to kill her husband and steal her from him had violated her son.

He shuddered, wishing the Truce Party and _that night_ weren't so clear in his mind. Danny obviously had other things to worry about, but Vlad was still cringing at the implications of having slept with the love of his life's son - someone almost thirty years younger than him, at that! He swore he'd destroy that blasted guitar-wielding ghost if it was the last thing he did.

Despite everything, Vlad felt ecstatic over the notion of being a father. A father to a child with Maddie's genes, nonetheless! He could ignore the fact that Jack's genes were mixed into the equation, sure that his and Maddie's own superior genes could overcome any obstacle. And speaking of genetics, there was the whole part-ghost possibility he'd discussed with Daniel. After all, half of his and Daniel's DNA was human, so surely that would transfer into their ecto-energy and, consequently, this child. A unique hybrid child, a little Vladimir Jr., and it was all Vlad's to mold and care for! Perhaps things were not all bad after all.

And, all things considered, perhaps this was what he had been waiting for for the past three years. This pregnancy would surely finally get Daniel on his side! It already had, in a way, since he would eventually have to move in with Vlad in order to avoid being drained of all energy. They'd have to put up with being in close proximity if they wanted little Vladimir to be alright. Yes, he was sure that in a few years, the three half-ghosts could rule.

As soon as he could get those infernal spirits in the Ghost Zone to stop their nonsense about "bonking the Ghost Child" or whatever the latest gossip said.

* * *

They were all in the living room, Sam and Tucker on either side of Danny. Jack and Maddie sat across from the three, eyeing the Fenton Thermos held tightly in Sam's hands.

Sam and Tucker had taken it rather well when Danny had told them (and managed to convince them he wasn't kidding). Well, Tucker had taken it better than he'd expected, at least. Sam's reaction had involved a lot of screaming and hitting. She'd been convinced that he'd _wanted_ to sleep with Vlad until he'd gotten around to explaining from the very beginning when Ember had placed them under her spell. Tucker spent most of the conversation in a state of shock, processing that his best _male_ friend was pregnant, of all things. After all was said and done, they'd both been the supportive friends they'd always been and insisted they both be there when he told his parents.

_"Okay, dude, here's the plan: You tell your parents everything, and they accept you and their illegitimate grandchild, and everything will be okay in the world," Tucker recapped for him._

_"And if they don't?" Danny asked with a skeptical frown._

_Sam held up the Fenton Thermos. "Then we suck you into this and run."_

_Danny looked at her with a distressed expression, but after thinking it over, finally muttered, "I guess it's the best way to avoid getting ripped apart molecule by molecule..."_

"Danny? You said there was something you wanted to tell us?" Maddie asked softly, not oblivious to how agitated her son looked, nor of the fearful look in his eyes.

Danny snapped out of his thoughts and surveyed both his parents in turn. "Yeah. It's... I guess it's a couple things. A couple of really big things."

A long silence stretched between them and turned awkward.

"Son?" Jack started. "You know you can tell us anything, right? Heck, we're your parents!"

Danny rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "So you guys will accept me _no matter what_, right?"

Maddie and Jack nodded vigorously, both worried for their son at this point.

"And you'll be there for me no matter what kinda stuff I could've gotten myself into?"

Jack nodded, but Maddie frowned. "What did you do, Danny?" she asked in a scolding tone.

"Nothing illegal!" Danny quickly clarified. _Well, not in the Ghost Zone or the state of Illinois, anyways. And it's more __**who**__ I did than __**what**__. I have __**got**__ to stop thinking about that!_

Maddie eyed him concernedly, noticing his shaking hands. She was now convinced something was terribly wrong. "What is it, then, sweetie?"

Danny swallowed and paused. Sam squeezed his arm reassuringly and he took a deep breath. "I... I guess it all started with the Fenton Portal when I was fourteen, around September. Do you remember when you guys made it and it wouldn't work? And how you guys were so upset about it?" Both his parents nodded. "Well, I told Sam and Tucker about it. And they came over one day after school, and... well, I decided to take a look. I hated seeing you guys so upset, and I wanted to see if I could make it work. And, well, I went in. And it worked."

Jack started at that. "How did you get it to work, son?" he asked excitedly.

Danny gave him a look. He was sure his father had been the one to put the power button inside the portal, after all, though he'd never held it against him. "You guys put the on button on the inside. I kinda accidentally might've pressed it and it might've accidentally shocked me..." he said guiltily.

"THAT WAS YOU?" Maddie yelled. "Danny you could've gotten killed!"

Danny sighed heavily. "Yeah, I know. Trust me, _I know_. Because... because I kinda accidentally _did_ get sort of killed."

Maddie and Jack looked at him with matching bemused looks. "Did it hurt, Danny? I mean, with all that raw ectoplasm, I don't understand how you lived through that in the first place!" his mother exclaimed worriedly.

Danny rubbed the back of his neck again, not sure how to continue now that he'd made it this far. He'd played out the many different outcomes for this conversation, but he seemed to have forgotten the scripts he'd devised in his head. Sam squeezed his arm again, and he forced himself to say something. "D-do you remember when exactly P-Phantom started showing up?"

Both his parents stared at him, confused by the apparent non-sequitor. "Why?" Jack asked, worried by his son's quavering voice.

"Just - do you remember?"

Maddie nodded. "Around September of that year. But that was because the portal was activated, wasn't it?"

"Pretty much," Danny mumbled, looking both his parents in the eye in turn. Sam nudged him in the side, nodded her head and shook the thermos, letting him now he should go ahead and tell them. "Well, it's actually because, when I got shocked by the portal... something happened. I-I _didn't_ live through it, not all the way. And I..." he looked at both his parents, at his mother's eyes confused and worried, and his father's unexpected look of surprise. Finally, he took one last deep breath and said, "The accident... it - it turned me into a sort of half-ghost. I-I'm Danny P-Phantom."

A thick silence followed. He could feel Tucker fidgeting nervously to his left, could see Sam's knuckles tighten around the thermos to his right. His mom shook her head. "No, you're not," she said, firmly yet jokingly. She didn't believe him. Not that he'd expected them to without seeing him transform, but he'd wanted to plant the idea in their head before he simply went ghost right in front of them.

"Can we see?" Jack suddenly whispered, startling Danny.

"Jack?" Maddie asked, looking at her husband as if he'd just grown another head.

"Well, he has to be able to access the ghost part of him somehow, right?" he boomed enthusiastically. "Come on, Danny, let's see!"

Danny was stumped at his dad's unexpected enthusiasm and willingness to believe him, as were Sam and Tucker. The thermos was limp in Sam's grasp and Tucker's jaw was hanging open. Sam snapped out of it first, elbowing him in the side again. He hated when she did that, but took her cue nevertheless. "I - okay? I, uh, I-I'm going ghost, I guess," he stuttered, closing his eyes and letting transformation rings wash over him. He heard his parents' gasps and kept his eyes shut out of fear. It was a full minute of silence before he got the courage to open them again to see a blank look on his mom's face and a wide grin on his dad's.

"Hah! I knew it!" Jack boomed. His reaction shocked everyone. Danny gawked openly at him, the thermos fell out of Sam's hands, and Tucker began to choke on his own spit. Maddie's deadpan expression never left her face, but her eyes widened a fraction.

"_You knew?_" they all exclaimed in unison.

"Dad, if you knew, why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell anyone?" Danny asked, the adrenaline from the build-up to his confession having been abruptly cut off so that he was now feeling dizzy. His friends shielded their eyes and he felt his aura flare, as if the baby ghost were laughing at him. Danny frowned.

Jack shrugged and grinned sheepishly. "Aw, shucks, son. I just thought it was one of those things you didn't talk about until you were ready. You know, like Vladdie with the Backwash Incident, or you and Jazz with the Turkey Incident! You seemed so bent on keeping it a secret... well, I just thought you'd tell us when you were ready, Danny. I really don't blame you for being scared to tell us."

Danny now wore a crooked grin, the relief from his dad's reaction making him feel insanely happy. He almost giggled to himself, but Sam elbowed Danny to get him back on track. "Oh, uh, how exactly did you find out, Dad?"

"I've known since that time Vladdie placed that bounty on your head! You can't work that close with your own son and not recognize him! Plus, it was kind of obvious when you were calling me 'Dad,' son." Sam and Tucker looked at Jack, baffled. Danny was now beyond confused. His bumbling dad had known? His father never ceased to amaze him. "After that, everything clicked into place. Sure, there were a lot of times when I'd have my doubts, but it all kept coming back to the same place. I mean, Danny _Phantom_, Danny _Fenton_? Really, son, you should be more creative with naming things! Like your old man!"

Danny couldn't help but smile widely in relief, Tucker patting him on the back in a sort of congratulatory gesture. His smile fell, however, when he caught sight of his mother's face. Maddie shook her head, her expression melding into shock and comprehension as she gazed at the half-ghost in front of her, suddenly aware of all the similarities between her Danny and Danny Phantom. "Danny... I need some time to think this over," she said and began to rise.

"Mom, wait!" Danny pleaded, knowing that if he didn't tell them _everything_ right now, that it would only be that much harder. He had to do this!

Maddie gave him a pleading look of her own. "Danny, I'm sorry. I love you, and - and I can accept this, eventually, but I need some time to myself."

"But Mom -"

"Son, you should let your mother -"

"But I still have more to tell you!"

"Sweetheart, I promise I'll be back, but right now this is too much for -"

"I'm pregnant!"

The second the words escaped his mouth, he regretted it. He slid down in his seat, trying to focus on not going involuntarily invisible. Sam slapped a hand to her forehead while Tucker shook his head.

Maddie and Jack were staring at him, Maddie with an overwhelmed expression. "Danny, that's not funny right now."

"I'm not trying to be funny, Mom," he said in a strained voice, now near tears. He just wanted this all to be over with. He just wanted to never have gone to the Truce Party.

"But Danny, that's not possible," Jack said, forced to take his son seriously at seeing his obvious distress.

"It is," Danny told him, feeling himself close to losing it now that he'd revealed that he was pregnant. His parents hadn't tried to kill or shoot him, which was all he could've asked for at the moment, but he wasn't sure what kind of reaction he'd get from this. After all, wasn't this something they'd had to worry about with Jazz, not him? "Because I'm part ghost. And ghost pregnancy isn't the same thing as human pregnancy, so anyone can get pregnant, even male ghosts. And I didn't know so it was obviously an accident, and I can explain everything but I just really -" Tucker and Sam cut him off by slapping a hand each to his mouth.

Another long silence engulfed the room, in which Danny took the time to collect himself, his face in his hands. Jack was deep in thought, and Maddie had a lost expression on her face. "Is that why the Fenton Ghost Tracker pointed at you for both the ghosts it detected the other day?" Jack asked without looking at him, obviously still stuck somewhere in his thoughts. Danny made a noise to confirm, looking down at his lap.

Sam and Tucker observed the situation, giving each other a look. Sam placed a hand on Danny's shoulder. "Danny, I think we should take a break now. You've told them the two most important things. For now, just let them take this in, okay?" she told him. Danny nodded slowly again. After giving his parents one last look he floated up into the air, flying out of the living room and to his room. Sam and Tucker followed him up the stairs.

Four hours later found Danny just as anxious as he'd been before he'd told his parents anything. They were all in the same position they'd been in before, sans his friend's who'd decided to leave him some privacy with his parents now that the risky part was done with. Danny was still in ghost form for comfort's sake. Jack wore a rare serious expression, but Maddie looked much better than before. She even managed to smile at Danny, who tried to return it though it looked more like a grimace. Surprisingly enough, both Maddie and Jack had a notebook in front of them, with a pen poised in each of their hands.

"Danny, we want you to tell us everything. Explain everything." At seeing Danny frown, Maddie leaned across the coffee table and patted his white-gloved hand softly. "We're not trying to make a science experiment out of you, honey. I promise," she assured him with a motherly smile.

"We just want to know all that we can about this," Jack added. "Maybe we can help. I mean, as strange as a ghost-human hybrid is, and as many stories as I'm sure you have for us about fighting ghosts, this should probably be our first priority."

Danny smiled gratefully at them, exhaling nervously. "What do you want to know?"

"You said this wasn't like human pregnancy," Maddie started immediately, her inquisitive nature getting the best of her. "It obviously isn't, since you don't have a womb. Do you know how it's possible for you?"

Danny proceeded to explain everything he knew about ghost biology and mates. He told them about how he'd gone to a ghost ally and found out he was pregnant, how he'd talked to another pregnant ghost who'd explained the process and changes he was going through, and about all that he'd speculated with Vlad (though without mentioning who he'd theorized with, of course). So far, he'd avoided several questions about his mate by quickly providing an interesting fact that launched them on a tangent of more questions unrelated to who the father was. It was rather difficult when he had to explain how a ghost's mate played into this, and about complementing ecto-energies, so he was very proud of himself for having managed so many successful subject changes. Upon mentioning that he could feel the child inside of him, Maddie's eyes grew bright.

"How?" she whispered.

Danny smiled genuinly for the first time since they'd started their questioning. "I can't really explain it. It's just... I can feel its ghost signature. I can feel the connection. I didn't really feel it until I knew I was - well, you know." Maddy nodded enthusiastically, writing it all down. Lost in the light feeling that suddenly enveloped him, Danny continued, "I can feel it kind of... try and communicate, now that it knows I know it's there. I can feel what it feels, its emotions, and.. well, I don't know, it's hard to describe. But Vlad said he could feel his own en -"

"Vlad? What's Vladdie got to do with this?" Jack interrupted and Danny realized much too late that he'd said something he hadn't wanted to say just yet. He opened his mouth to try to respond but nothing came out.

Maddie eyed him suspiciously. "Danny? Why would you go to Vlad about this?"

Danny opened and closed his mouth several times, a perfect imitaion of a fish out of water. His mother tapped her foot impatiently while Jack simply looked confused. Maddie was sure that if Vlad was involved, nothing good could come out of it. Danny sighed and licked his lips before deciding how to go about this. "Uh, well he... I mean, it's like this... he's kind of..." He sighed and ran a hand through his white hair. "Mom, Dad... can you think of any other ghost portals or, say, prototype portals that might've backfired on anyone? Like the Fenton Portal backfired on me?" he hinted, looking at them to see immediate understanding on their faces.

"Wait, you mean Vlad's a... like you?" Maddie asked, everything suddenly clicking into place for her. Danny hesitated before nodding.

"But he never told us anything!" Jack jumped in. "And we're supposed to be best friends! Oh, geez, no wonder he didn't talk to me for all those years! Must've been so hard going through that all by himself," Jack finished guiltily. His face turned pensieve, and he asked, "Do we know his ghost half?"

Danny froze and turned to look at his mom, who was on the edge of her seat waiting for his answer. _Well, their reaction can't be much worse than when they find out he defiled their little boy._

"Yes. You do."

Jack grinned. "Who is it? Is that why you and Vladdie don't get along? Some sort of half-ghost competitiveness? Trying to see which one's the alpha male?"

Danny looked at him, wide-eyed. "What? No! What do you think ghosts are, Dad? Vlad and I just..." _Hate each other's guts so much that you had sex and made a kid? Shut up, brain!_ "It's complicated. But I don't think I hate him. And he definitely doesn't hate me," he explained, mumbling the last part under his breath.

Maddie's eyes narrowed suspiciously, sure that her son was trying to cover something up. "What ghost is he, Danny? How'd you find out?"

Danny eyed them, thinking quickly. He had to tell them, now that it'd been brought up. But he didn't want to hurt his father, or spark his mother's ire more than it'd already be sparked later, or make his child's grandparents hate Vlad. If he could avoid things becoming so complicated, he would, even if it meant disguising the truth a little. Okay, a _lot_. With those thoughts in mind, he took a deep breath. "Do you guys remember your twentieth college reunion? There was a new ghost there? White cape, blue skin, pointy black hair?"

After a second or so of pondering, his father's expression melded into shock and his mother's face turned dark. "The Wisconsin Ghost?" she asked with bite in her voice.

"Actually, his name's Plasmius," Danny corrected her in an inappropriately light tone of voice to cover up his anxiety. One wrong move and it'd be Vlad's head, and he couldn't exactly afford that at the moment.

"But that's the ghost that tried to kill me and steal the Fenton Portal! That couldn't have been Vlad!" Jack exclaimed.

"Oh, yes it could have," Maddie replied, making Danny tense. "Jack, sorry to say, but Vlad -"

"- had ghost pox!" Danny interrupted in a high-pitched voice. Both his parents turned to look at him with eyebrows raised. "You know, like chicken pox for ghosts? Yeah, it's a one-time thing. Makes you act pretty crazy. He still had it when he tried to steal the Fenton Portal. And remember that one time when I robbed that bank? Yup, all ghost pox. Which proves that it wasn't his fault. But we're okay now! Really!" Danny flinched inwardly at his blatant lie over the Freakshow incident.

Jack seemed convinced. Maddie, however, gave him an incredulous look, obviously not having bought a word of it. Danny shot her a pleading look and it was all the confirmation she needed for her suspicions about Vlad. She leaned back into the couch, looking sick.

"I knew Vladdie wouldn't do something like that! I'd have been crushed if my best friend had tried to kill me!" Jack said with a bright smile on his face. Danny gave Maddie a look at his father's words and she quickly deflated.

Resigned, Maddie asked, "So what was this you were saying about Vlad, sweetie? I'm going to have a long talk with that man."

Danny paled, this not going unnoticed by his parents. _Let's just get this over with._ "It's probably going to be a longer talk than you think, Mom," he paused to get his bearings before continuing, "because there was this Christmas party in the Ghost Zone... See, there's a truce every year between all ghosts, humans, and half-ghosts. But at the party, Ember - that's the girl singer ghost with the blue hair - kind of did one of her mind-control spells with her guitar on me and Vlad. And it was kind of a love spell and things happened and now Vlad and I are having a baby!"

Danny was shaking by the time he finished, staring at his lap as his parents tried to catch up with what he had just told them.

"Danny? Are you saying Vlad's the father?" Maddie asked in a flat voice.

"Yeah," Danny confirmed, looking from his lap to his parents again.

"Wait, so you and Vlad...?" Jack waved his hands around. Danny looked away and nodded, face flushing a deep red. Jack slapped a hand to his forehead, looking sick. "Oh, geez! This is... Oh, gosh. And you said it was a mind-control spell? How do these things _happen_?"

"Welcome to my life, Dad," the half-ghost mumbled, ignoring his mother's currently murderous look. He'd made it clear that it had all been an accident, so it would be unfair for her to be angry at Vlad for this when he was just as much a victim as he was. He was sure she knew that much and that it was probably the reason she was still sitting. However, that didn't erase the fact that Vlad was Plasmius on top of the father of her grandchild.

An awkward silence filled the room for nearly ten minutes before Maddie spoke up. "Danny?" she called out gently, her previous anger having more or less diminished in light of the current situation. Her son was most important right now. "Have you thought about maybe, you know... stopping the pregnancy? I mean, you're _seventeen_. You're still a child yourself! We don't know if it's a full ghost, and I'm sure that neither you nor Vlad are happy with the situation. I'm sure we could figure out a way to -"

Danny felt his eyes go red and his aura flare, causing his parents to have to shield their eyes. "NO! I'm not getting rid of this baby, Mom! Ghost, half-ghost, or human, it wouldn't be right! Just because it's weird and kind of inconvenient for me right now doesn't mean that it would be fair to the baby! So keep your scientific ideas off of Daniel Jr.!" he screamed, a dizzy spell overtaking him. Shaking his head, he floated up into the air in a huff. "I'm tired. I'm going to bed," he snapped, going invisible and flying up to his room, leaving two stunned parents behind.

* * *

Once he'd woken up from his nap and was successfully calmed down, Danny had informed Maddie that Vlad was in Japan for the weekend. They'd talked through the weekend about Danny's experiences with Vlad and the troubles he'd given Danny in the past. Danny had revealed he knew more about the man than Maddie could ever have imagined. She could tell he hadn't told tell her everything, but what he did tell her was good enough for her. Jack had even coaxed Danny into telling him about his fights, which Maddie had to admit helped her get acclimated to the whole half-ghost thing. Her son was a hero and in the family business, after all! So fortunately, Maddie had had plenty of time to sort through her thoughts and emotions before she knocked on Vlad's door Monday morning.

When the door swung open, she immediately spotted the nervous glint in Vlad's eyes. "Hello, Maddie! Looking lovely, as always! Come in, come in," he greeted her, giving her a dazzling smile as he led her inside and to a nearby sitting room.

Vlad disappeared for a minute before returning with a tea kettle. He poured the two tea, and if she hadn't been looking for it she would never have spotted the nervous way in which he was conducting himself. He'd obviously been expecting her, as Danny had told her. Finished with the tea, the billionaire couldn't help but sit close to her. "So, Maddie," he began in a sultry voice, "what brings you here this morning? Not that I don't love having you visit me -"

"Enough, Vlad," Maddie cut him off and leaned away from him. "I think you have an idea of why I'm here. And considering the _circumstances_, I don't think it's appropriate for you to be making advances on me. Not that it ever _was_, of course," she said venemously, her voice taking a desperate pitch as she continued. "For God's sake, Vlad, you lied to us! You tried to kill Jack!"

Forgetting his plan to remain calm and avoid trouble given what he'd done to her son, he threw caution out the window as he defended himself from her (truthful) accusations. "He ruined my life!"

"Could you really imagine your life without being what you are after all this time?" she countered. "If it weren't for that accident, you wouldn't have the gift you have! Because that's what it is! That's what both yours and Danny's powers are! Vlad, you two can do things nobody else can. But while Danny's used his powers to do good, I can figure out what _you've_ done with them, even if Jack can't. And, just so you know, Danny tried to cover for you even after he told us you were Plasmius! He even went as far as making _himself_ look like the bad guy! Jack doesn't suspect a thing!" she yelled in a choked voice. Vlad's face changed from anger to surprise, and she forced herself to calm down. Sighing, she laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Look, Vlad, I know how you feel about me, and I know how you feel about Jack. I also know how you feel about Danny - you want him as a son - and now that I know about both of you, that makes sense to me. But things change. Really, Vlad, you're having a _child_ with Danny! And, accident or not, I will not let you make this more complicated than it already is." Vlad tried to interrupt, but Maddie put a hand to his mouth, needing to be heard. "You need to _move on_."

Vlad glared at her and stood up, moving her hand in the process. "Maddie, like you said, it _was_ an accident with Daniel, which I would change if I could! You're asking me to move on from something that I will _not_ move on from. Twenty-three years, woman! I will _not_ give up on you, Maddie," he said with determination. Maddie's eyes narrowed.

"What about Danny?"

Vlad stayed quiet, not sure what to tell the love of his life - and the grandmother of his child. What _about_ Danny? How was he supposed to feel about the boy now? And what about Maddie?

The woman sighed and stood up as well, seeing him tense as she walked closer. "You're saying you'll continue to try and kill your baby's grandfather? Marry his grandmother? And what about Danny? What will happen with him? Vlad, things _will_ change, whether you want them to or not," she told him softly, unkowingly summarizing most of his previous thoughts. Her face hardened. "And if they don't, I won't allow my grandchild to be raised in a hostile and confusing family situation. Even if I have to invent a way for the child to be healthy while he's kept away from you."

Vlad paled at the obvious threat in her voice. Knowing Maddie like he did, she wouldn't say things like that without meaning them. "Maddie..."

She gave him a somber look. "It's up to you, Vlad."

Vlad paused, his face growing stony as he met her eyes. "I can cease my plans for revenge on Jack. I can even make the effort to view Danny as a partner in raising this child, above everything else." His face softened and he placed both hands on Maddie's shoulders. "But Maddie, _I love you._ I can't let you go," he whispered, a softness in his voice that only Maddie could ever invoke in him.

Maddie took a step back, letting his hands fall. "And I love you, too - as a _friend_. As the friend I thought you'd been for over twenty years. I'm not asking for a miracle. I'm willing to forgive you for everything. I'm willing to keep your secret. I'm willing to _help_ you get over all this hate, Vlad. I'll be there for you. Danny will be there for you. Jack will be there for you, if you let him."

At that, Vlad's anger returned to him. "Don't talk about me as if I'm some sort of charity case, Maddie, because I'm not," he spat. "What I am is a product of another person's happiness, namely Jack's! I had _everything_ stolen from me -"

"- yet you gained supernatural abilities and became a billionaire," she interjected.

"I spent years in the hospital and struggling with powers I knew nothing about all on my own!"

"Because you decided to kick us out of the room whenever we tried to visit!" Maddie yelled, now angry as well.

"Only because Jack took the first opportunity to steal you away from me and then rubbed it in my face with your hand in one of his and a wedding invitation in the other!" he screamed back, his eyes briefly flashing red, and if Maddie hadn't already seen Danny's eyes do the same while he was in ghost form all weekend, she might have been startled.

"I always loved Jack, Vlad!" she shouted, tears now in her eyes. "And if I hadn't married Jack, Danny and Jazz wouldn't be here. I know they wouldn't. And you wouldn't be about to have your _own_ child! Your own perfect, half-ghost child, just like you've always wanted!"

Vlad clenched his fists, his breath shaky from indignation. "How do you know _this_ is meant to be my child? How do you know Daniel and Jasmine wouldn't have been _our_ children if things had been different?"

Maddie deflated. She said nothing for a few seconds, then she sadly shook her head. "Because you were never the one I was in love with, and you can't have a child without love. That's why I forgive you, Vlad. Because of Danny; because he said all you ever wanted was love. Well... here's your chance."

Vlad stared at her, a lost expression on the billionaire's face. She came forward and squeezed his arm tenderly. If it had been under different circumstances, he would have died from joy at her affection.

"Everything happens for a reason. The accident with the Proto-Portal happened for a reason. And I know this happened for a reason, too. So, please, Vlad - think about what you have _now_. Think about what you _will_ have. I can assure you, once this child is born, _everything_ is going to change for you. And it'll all be for the best," she finished with a small smile. Turning her back, she escorted herself out of the mansion, leaving a frustrated and hopeless Vlad behind.

* * *

**End Notes:** I very much see Jack as being one of those people who just jump out and surprise you because they are actually aware of so much more than they let on. I _had_ to have him already know, because in my mind no parents can be _that_ oblivious, haha. Plus, all that fumbling and the way he interacts with Phantom in more than one episodes... hmm. But that's just me and my story.

Anyways, we're through here. See you next chapter!


	4. Direction of a Flame

**Notes: **My ride to Arizona canceled on me, so no fun weekend for Jewcika. Luckily for you guys, that means I got to pour all my disappointment and sulkiness into writing. I'm sure all of you are reveling in my misery right now, but I forgive ya. This chapter is disappointingly short, but I trust you'll like the next chapter. *grins*

So we've got some nice Vlad/Danny bits here to kick this off before the next (extra long) chapter, which is the end of Act One. I know the beginning might seem a little rushed, but that's because this isn't a story about Danny's pregnancy, yes, it's obviously a huge part, but it's not meant to go on for chapters and chapters so it's condensed. I've been working on a few oneshots or deleted scenes of sorts for this story. They'll mostly be pretty short, possibly a few drabbles in there, just some things I have to get out of my head that don't fit into the story line (come on, it's little trouble-making Dan we're talking about, of _course_ there's gonna be too many ideas to count!). And you know that trip to Arizona that didn't happen? Yeah, hello oneshots, haha. So I'm thinking I'll start posting that as a separate story sometime this week, right before the next chapter. The ones I've got written so far will be posted in some sort of parallel with the chapters (which I've got about half of completed or drafted). Until then, on with chapter three!

* * *

**Chapter Three: Direction of a Flame**

The next six months were quite eventful, to say the least. The hardest part was getting used to Vlad being around so much, but his parents' constant pestering about his ghost half and their grandchild was also close behind. Despite the fact that ghosts seemed to be steering clear of Amity Park, Danny's life was still chaos. Once football season ended, Vlad seemed to have an epiphany of sorts and took to flocking over to Fenton Works whenever he could, since Danny still refused to go over to his house. He'd go over every detail to talk about their child, Danny's future living arrangements, or Danny's education. The billionaire did it with such enthusiasm that the young half-ghost had to ask himself just how badly Maddie had threatened Vlad to be good. Frankly, Danny was sick of it, but his mother had warned him more than once now that it was both messy and impolite to keep ectoblasting your child's father through the nearest wall.

Around mid-March, Danny began having fainting spells and becoming tired very easily; he'd ended up spending most of his eighteenth birthday passed out in bed. In late March, Danny begrudgingly moved in with Vlad at the nagging insistence of his family and even his friends. Interactions between him and Vlad had been awkward at first, but Vlad had quickly become addicted to the feel of his child when he was around Danny. This had resulted in several ectoblasts from Danny himself when the older man accidentally got too close for comfort. Eventually, both Danny and Vlad had had to give in to the required ghost pseudo-cuddling which allowed for the strange energy transfers, or as Danny liked to call it, pleasing the leech baby. After he got a bit used to it, Danny admitted to himself that it wasn't so bad, since he got significant energy boosts which made staying human and getting through his classes somewhat bearable. Even if it was at the expense of his personal space.

Not that there _was_ such a thing as personal space anymore for Danny, since the baby seemed to demand more and more attention from his father as time went on. The baby never hesitated in letting him know it was unhappy, thanks to their growing emotional connection. This was how he'd eventually come upon the realization that the nightmares he'd been having might not be his own, and he had to admit to being very disturbed by the thought. The idea that the terrible dreams were a sign of some sort of evil ghost spawn entered his mind, but they were immediately dismissed. He was sure this child was not some evil ghost, but maybe just distressed - Danny had a feeling that the child hated enclosed spaces, for some reason. Still, if Danny had ever hated being half-ghost, his pregnancy was not one of those times. He was certain that humans couldn't feel this connected, and even his mother seemed amazed at his descriptions of the whole thing as she constantly fussed over him.

It wasn't until April that being in his human form began to become unbearable. Danny would never forget the horrible experience when the baby turned human inside him, confirming that it was indeed a hybrid. He'd never been in so much pain in his life, even after a violent career of ghost fighting and getting shocked by a ghost portal. His body had reacted violently to something that was not supposed to be there, and his energy had drained quicker than it ever had. He knew the baby had been affected more than him; he'd felt its own pain and distress at being left floating in ectoplasm, a human fetus with no physical connection to its mother. He'd been at school, to make things worse, but locked in a bathroom stall clutching his stomach, he hadn't questioned it when Vlad had unexpectedly shown up to pick him up. The man had also felt their child's distress. The billionaire had then proceeded to smother him with much unwanted attention and raving on about their half-ghost child until he'd been able to coax the baby back to its ghost form. After that, Danny had been quick to show Vlad his displeasure.

This had started both his parents and Vlad working on several things to help the process along, much to Danny's chagrin given that he was now taking several glowing concoctions and vitamins on a daily basis. Since the baby had no such attachment as an umbilical cord and was feeding on pure spectral energy, the human part was being neglected. Vlad had been especially nervous about this, though Danny knew that the child didn't mind. It seemed to enjoy being a ghost much more.

May was a hard month, given that both Tucker and Sam had confirmed they would be leaving Amity Park; Tucker was going into computer science at NEIU in Chicago, and Sam was majoring in animal science at Illinois State in some town a couple hours away. Danny, on the other hand, had to make do with online classes at the community college. He'd decided it'd be for the best, since according to Vlad their child would take at least eight months to develop and they both had to be there for it in the first months of its life. Besides that, his grades put him nowhere near to a career at NASA, so perhaps it was a good thing to aim for an astronomy major to start with.

On top of that, Danny had started putting on weight - or, more specifically, his body had begun changing to accomodate the growing bump. The baby half-ghost was more or less weightless, after all, though it _did_ grow in size as it began to absorb more spectral energy. Thankfully, the growth was much slower than human growth would be, given that the baby almost always stayed ghost. Of course, the growth was more apparent in Phantom's tight spandex suit, and Danny had enlisted Vlad's help to change his form and give it a hooded cloak to cover up the bulge on his stomach. Apparently, one of the first things Vlad had learned to do was alter his appearance to get rid of the horrid black lab coat he'd been stuck with initially.

In spite of everything, Vlad had been quite helpful through the whole ordeal. He'd been irritated at first about having to take the younger half-ghost's abuse when he got angry (which was much too often for the billionaire's liking) but they'd eventually reached an uneasy truce. They were now getting along with less than three shouting matches a day, which was an accomplishment in Vlad's book. It surprised Vlad how much his outlook had changed just from a series of feelings which weren't even physical to begin with. Like Danny, he had also gotten to know their child through the strange ghostly family bond which had formed between them. Unlike Danielle, this child would be perfect in every way. It'd be his own blood and ectoplasm, all his own to raise from birth, to teach all he knew to. And a fighter to boot! Vlad could feel it, a combination of his own cunning and Daniel's determination. According to Skulker, the youngest half-ghost's ideas and perceptions he communicated to his parents were much too advanced for a ghost still forming. Vlad just knew it meant their child had inherited his and Maddie's brains.

In the end, Vlad couldn't help but think that maybe Maddie had been right. Maybe this _was_ all for the best. Maybe this had been his destiny all along. After all, this bond with his unborn child nearly rivaled his love for Maddie. It was a strange thing for the half-ghost, but it was by no means unpleasant.

It was now July, and the two soon-to-be-parents were in one of the living rooms in Vlad's mansion. They'd started out having a civil discussion about the name of the baby over tea, but that had quickly taken a turn for the worse. Two pairs of red eyes glared at each other from where they floated at opposite sides of the room, two gleaming pairs of fangs bared. Danny's tea was now frozen solid while Vlad's had been boiled to the point of evaporation, and the half-ghosts' arguing rang through the house.

"We're not naming _Daniel_ after you, you fruit loop! It's a stupid name!"

"It's a name with character!"

"Yeah, the character of a fruit loop! How could you honestly wish that name on a kid?"

"Oh, like there won't be five Daniels in each of his classes. Honestly, can't you be a _little_ creative? Oh, wait, this is the person who came up with Danny Phantom as his brilliant alias."

Silver claws now extended from Danny's hands, but Vlad paid them no mind. He was much too used to the threat by now to be intimidated. "He doesn't _like_ the name Vladimir, he likes Daniel!"

"And how would _you_ know?"

"Because he likes me better!"

"That's preposterous!"

"What's _preposterous_ is the name you're trying to pin on the poor kid!"

"Oh, for God's sake, can't you just agree to have Daniel as his middle name?"

"If you so much as think about giving him the middle name Vladimir, I'll hurt you, Vlad!" Danny boomed, following with a glowing green fist.

"I'd like to see you try!" Vlad retorted.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?" a voice shouted over the two and they started in surprise. At seeing Maddie in the doorway, Danny's eyes went back to green and Vlad's dimmed their glow. Danny's face lit up, somehow still maintaining a threatening air as he glanced at the blue-skinned ghost.

"Mom! Isn't Daniel a much better name than Vladimir?"

"Nonsense! Now, Maddie, don't you think Vladimir is a wonderful name? Vladimir means 'great ruler,' you know," Vlad argued with a charming smile.

"You just don't want to name it Daniel because you'll be too much of an idiot to tell us apart if we both have the same name."

"_I'm_ the idiot? But little badger, _I'm_ not the one related to Jack Fenton here."

Maddie blinked, ignoring the jab at her husband. "Are you two fighting over baby names?"

The two nodded and started yelling all over again, their words unintelligible since they were screaming over each other. Maddie shook her head before giving a shrill whistle which silenced the two.

"Would you two calm down?" she demanded. "How do you even know it's a boy in the first place?"

"We just do," the two replied in unison.

Maddie raised an eyebrow.

"It's one of those things, Mom."

Maddie rolled her eyes. _Those things_ had been the term the half-ghosts had recently taken to explain to Maddie and Jack how they knew something about the baby that made no sense for them to know, all through the bond they shared. "What about its ghost name? Just name it Daniel if you choose Plasmius, and Vladimir if you choose Phantom."

Danny shook his head. "Those are _our_ ghost names, Mom. And it wouldn't exactly be fair to pick it for him, would it?" he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Maddie blinked, perplexed. "What?"

"It's customary for ghosts by birth to pick their own names," Vlad explained. "They'll obviously know their own powers better than their parents, and they'll pick a name as they see fit when they're old enough."

"Yeah, I mean, you wouldn't want to stick a Frostbite with the name Undergrowth, right?" Danny interjected.

"Alright," Maddie said, preferring not to get involved in the two's name argument. "I've got the spectral readings from this afternoon. I'll just slip them through the door in your study, Vlad. Just make sure you two finish your argument before Sam comes over, Danny. And that Vlad's house is still standing."

"I'm not making any promises," Danny replied with a cheeky smile while Vlad just glared.

A smile twitched at the corner of Maddie's mouth and she turned to leave. Before leaving the room, she turned to Vlad. "Oh, and Vlad? Vladimir's going to be an _awful_ name to grow up with. Try it as a middle name." She left the two half-ghosts glaring half-heartedly at her retreating back.

"Well, I guess that settles that," Danny mumbled. "Daniel Vladimir Fenton it is."

Vlad whirled around to look at him with narrowed eyes. "I never agreed to that!"

Danny smirked. "Not yet, but Mom suggested it so that means you're most likely going to go with it." Vlad opened his mouth to argue but Danny cut him off. "And don't say you won't. You went along with it when she told you to put Sam as Daniel's mother on his birth certificate, and to have him take my last name. And that's kind of a bigger deal than this."

Vlad grit his teeth, keeping up a glare for a little longer before floating down to the couch. Unfortunately, the younger hybrid was right - he valued Maddie's opinion above all others... and perhaps Vladimir _was_ an unfortunate name to grow up with. He'd been teased all through elementary school, after all, but he'd assumed that was from growing up in the Cold War - it being a Slavic name and all.

An angry silence stretched between them which, surprisingly, eventually turned comfortable. Vlad unfroze Danny's tea and Danny went back to drinking it.

Vlad had indeed agreed to the plan they'd drawn up for the birth certificate of the child. Obviously, they couldn't have Vlad as the father and Danny as the mother, so they went with the next best thing. Having Danny as the father and Sam as the mother had been the most logical idea, since anything involving Vlad would attract unwanted attention from the press. Two relatively nameless eighteen year olds were much more inconspicious than a world-class billionaire's distant dead relatives.

"Daniel, just out of curiosity," Vlad began, "why didn't you and Miss Manson continue your relationship? You seemed very attached when you were younger. You still do, if she's so willling to pose as the mother of your child."

Danny rubbed the back of his neck. "We were pretty head-over-heels for a while. But a couple months after we started dating, we started getting into a lot of fights. We expected too much, I guess. I mean, everyone kept telling us we were so perfect for each other, we just really expected a lot more. And then we were at this party, and... well, stuff happened that we didn't want happening, and things got even worse from there. We ended up breaking it off because we didn't want to ruin our friendship, which is what would've ended up happening, anyways."

"And you're still attracted to her?"

"Not really. I mean, I think she's pretty and all," he said with a blush, "but she's my best friend, you know? At this point, she's really more like a sister than anything."

"I can imagine," Vlad commented before getting comfortable and hovering his hand above Danny's stomach. Danny rolled his eyes but continued sipping his tea, sighing at the feel of Vlad's energy warming his and the baby's cores. They sat like that in comfortable silence until he felt Vlad pause, and the billionaire withdrew his hand.

"What's wrong?" Danny asked with a worried frown.

"Nothing," Vlad replied while averting his gaze. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some business to sort through," he said dismissively and Danny watched him retreat in confusion. He put a hand to his belly and bit his lip. After a while, a smug smile appeared on his face.

"Hah! I _told_ him he liked the name Daniel better."

* * *

Vlad walked down the hallway, using his perfected ghost sense to pinpoint Danny's exact location. It wasn't difficult, since he couldn't remember the last time the young hybrid stayed in his human form for more than a few minutes, and his ghost sense quickly led him to the roof. The billionaire rolled his eyes at his not-quite-archnemesis' predictability. He transformed into Plasmius, phasing through each story in the mansion until he reached the roof. Once he was there he immediately spotted the other half-ghost, a brightly glowing figure floating a few feet above the roof tile.

His new cloak, which he'd taken to wrapping around himself, was currently open. Danny was stroking his gloved fingers over a glowing spot on his belly, though it was difficult to tell since Danny was glowing so intensely himself. The hybrid was clearly having a silent conversation with the baby. Vlad himself was addicted to them; simple exchanges of their signatures through their cores, allowing them to feel sensations which Vlad wouldn't have thought one could perceive so clearly from another being.

Everyone knew the old saying that a father only realized they were such when they held their child in their arms. Vlad, however, was sure that didn't apply to ghosts - or half-ghosts, in this case. Ghosts born from two fully-formed ghosts were far from helpless, and were able to communicate their feelings and needs to their parents with ease. Although the feelings were so simple, the ideas so primitive, Vlad had come to know and appreciate his child as something indescribable, and his developing feelings towards his soon-to-be-born son were complex.

He no longer knew how to feel about Daniel. He'd gotten over his unease of their physical contact routine almost immediately as he'd gotten to know their child. Simple touches here and there had become natural for him without his realizing it, and he'd only be snapped back to reality by Danny's withering glare or raised eyebrow.

Worse still, through his preparations for the baby and preoccupation with feeding both the other hybrids' cores, Vlad had realized that he'd sometimes not even notice Maddie in the room. This was very disconcerting, since she was constantly around the mansion nowadays. She'd even come by just to chat every now and then, which Vlad should've felt ecstatic about but instead made him anxious since it meant he spent less time with his son.

Vlad knew he was an obsessive person; he had over twenty years of proof of that. A lifetime, if you counted the Packers. Still, it deeply bothered him that one tiny blob of shapeless ectoplasm could take over his world so easily. He hadn't gotten like this with the clones he slaved months over, had he? Then again, he'd never had any sort of tangible bond with them. They hadn't been perfect, like this child felt.

They hadn't been a part of _him_.

If he'd ever hated being half-ghost, Danny's pregnancy was certainly one of those times. How he _loathed_ feeling like this over something that had been nothing but an accident, some ghost's sick idea of entertainment at a Christmas party. And now he was stuck with these feelings, this obsession. It was something the billionaire was not used to. Even his love for Maddie could be overshadowed by other factors, such as a sudden urge to rule the world or an afternoon spent making Daniel's life miserable. When it came to his son, however, there was a certain animalistic _need_ to constantly be near him and, consequently, Daniel. Vlad had to keep telling himself that it would fade once he could actually lay eyes on the child, but there was a nagging voice inside him that told him it would only get worse.

And Danny... he was the worst. Curse Daniel's blasted need to leech off his ecto-energy! Vlad no longer knew where he stood with the raven-haired teen. Their exchanges could equally be awkward as they could be angry or comfortable. It was causing Vlad turmoil that he did not want. he was not an unsure person, he always knew exactly know he felt about someone; he hated Jack, he loved Maddie, he respected Skulker.

But Danny... He didn't want to admit that he could no longer pinpoint his feelings for the younger hybrid. Oh, curse those ridiculous changes! Curse that exaggerated white glow, and that snowy white hair, and those bold green eyes which could now so readily change to an even bolder and enticing red -

"Vlad?"

The blue-skinned ghost blinked and looked at Danny in surprise, as if just noticing he was there. The white-haired ghost had a puzzled look on his face, and Vlad tensed when he saw his eyes glowing a red color that was brighter than usual. At seeing that the other ghost didn't look angry, however, he relaxed. "Daniel. I just came up to tell you that dinner's ready."

Danny blinked. "Oh. Alright." Vlad nodded and was about to phase through the roof when he was stopped by Danny's concerned voice asking, "Are you okay?"

Vlad looked back and raised an eyebrow. "Of course I am," he said with a smile. "Why wouldn't I be? Now, I wouldn't keep little Daniel waiting for his meal. You know how he gets." His smile fell when he noticed that Danny's eyes hadn't reverted to green. "Are _you_ alright, Daniel? Your eyes are glowing red."

"I'm good, it's just... nothing. It's nothing. I'll be right down."

Vlad hesitated but phased through the roof after a few seconds. He reverted to his human form as he reached the floor where the dining room was. As he was walking down the hallway, however, his reflection in a mirror caught his attention and he did a double-take.

"What..."

He studied his reflection in horror. It suddenly dawned on him why Danny had asked him if he was alright... and why the younger hybrid's eyes had been so brilliantly red.

Vlad's eyes had been glowing a bright pink the whole time.

* * *

Vlad was very glad that the entrance to his underground lab was password-protected. It allowed him to pretend he wasn't hiding from an angry, pregnant male half-ghost in a rather undignified manner, but instead was working on some obscure project that he'd all but forgotten about since he'd learned of little Dan's conception.

Vlad had been diligently avoiding Danny for nearly five days now. Two days ago, he'd been cornered by the half-ghost and was nearly mauled for refusing to give his ecto-energy. Eventually, he'd complied - for a short while - before swallowing his pride and going back into hiding. He had to admit that every day - every _hour_ that went by - was torture without the feel of his son. It wasn't because of Danny; the young half-ghost had nothing to do with this. It was just a coincidence that Vlad was showing all the signs of trying to mate with Danny, after all.

Oh, cheese logs, he was being ridiculous! Just how dignified was it for him to be in so much denial that he kept arguing with himself over something so obvious? And while he hid away in his lab so he wouldn't have to look at Danny, at that? This was basic ghost biology, it was inarguable that his ecto-energy was infinitely compatible with Daniel's... that the two of them were mates.

But this was just so wrong! He was in love with the boy's mother, for God' sake!

...Wasn't he?

_What am I thinking, of __**course**__ I am! I have been in love with Maddie for over twenty years!_

After all, Maddie was perfection itself. She was strong-willed, graceful, skilled, intelligent, beautiful... She was everything he'd ever envisioned for himself.

Daniel, on the other hand, was just an eighteen year old male! The boy was stubborn, hot-headed, unyielding, crude, unrefined... but there was something in the back of his mind that wouldn't let him forget all the reasons why he'd wanted the other hybrid by his side in the first place. The boy was the only other person like him, after all; he had insane determination and strength, incredible potential, unmatched wit when he put himself up to it, an alluring fire in his eyes, such beauty with those white locks and perfect glowing skin and -

NO! Oh, _curse_ this ectoplasmic equivalent of teenage hormones! What in blazes was wrong with him? He'd never even felt like this over Maddie, so why was this happening with Daniel? Just because they were having a child together shouldn't mean that they were automatically bound for eternity!

Unfortunately, that was exactly what it meant for ghosts, and Vlad knew it well. His assumptions that this didn't apply to them because they were half-human had been painfully incorrect. Maybe once Dan was born, he could take the child and flee. Yes, he'd start a new life, away from Daniel. Eventually, he'd be able to face Maddie again - he loved her, right? Then she, Vlad, and Dan could live out their days in bliss. And maybe he could convince Skulker to give Daniel a nice, comfortable life in captivity so he wouldn't have to see the young hybrid again.

"Oh, stop this! You've always been able to get a situation to work to your advantage, so why should this time be any different?," he scolded himself from his place at a worktable where his latest project lay all but abandoned. He was Vlad Masters, after all! He faced things head-on and made them work so that he was the one to come out on top. He wasn't going to let the circumstances make a fool or a weak man out of him. He was sure this all had some advantages to it.

Besides, if he really thought about it, this would make all of them that much more powerful if he were to only embrace it. The complementing energies of two ever-growing half-ghosts had unlimited potential, unlimited power to be unlocked! Daniel was basically an adult now, anyways, and had such endearing qualities, which their ghostly bond would make sure were always brought to light in his mind.

They'd also be able to raise little Dan as a... family of sorts. Vlad's chest swelled with the thought of having a family of his own, the only thing he'd ever wanted before his thirst for power and revenge came into the picture. And, if they could have more children with such power, they'd surely be feared in the Ghost Zone and possibly come into quite a bit of influence there. More than even he as Plasmius had, perhaps. And in these circumstances, Danny would eventually come to him willingly. It was basic ghost biology, after all.

His mind made up, Vlad got up from his seat and went over to the lab's door. He didn't plan on telling the young hybrid any of this just yet, but he'd definitely work up to it. And in the end, Danny wouldn't be able to resist for long. For now, he had a son and mate to give his energy to.

* * *

**End Notes:** There you go, ya fangirls (or boys - I'm not exactly sure what all could be behind that screen), a nice Vlad/Danny chapter with some nice slashy undertones. You know you were waiting for it. So go ahead and review, *ahem* pretty please with a gummy bats on top?

About Sam and Danny: They broke up not too long ago from the start of this story, getting together at some point after Claw of the Wild (meaning the summer before this story starts). I debated between having them be an item or not - it really wouldn't change the outcome of the story - but in the end I decided to break them up as realistically as I could see them doing so. Really, I love Sam to death, and I'm not one of those girl-hating slashers. I just always saw the two as such good _friends_ with such strong personalities that I have trouble seeing them together for long. Actually, I see this whole situation with Dan helping the two get over all the resentful feelings that were left over from their short pre-story romance fiasco. I do think Sam's a good friend.

...Besides, there's already too much drama in this to be adding a Vlad/Sam feud into this. Sure, I don't mind torturing the characters, but Danny has enough to deal with here, haha.


	5. Inevitable

**Notes:** *sigh* So I had this chapter edited and finished, right? I'm pretty OCD about stories, and I usually edit chapters like four times. So anyways, I lost the 100% finished and edited version of this chapter and had to go back to my semi-finished draft and - oh, it was a mess, and I'm hoping version 2.0 of this isn't as bad as I think it is compared to the other one.. And those oneshots I've been working on haven't quite come together like I wanted them to - at least not the DannyVlad ones. So we'll just have to save those for later. Nevertheless, here we are! The last chapter of Act One, and quite an interesting one at that. I'm sure it's one you've all been waiting for, at least. After this, we're in little Dark's world! Dun dun dunnn.

I've been working on a whole lot of stuff lately, from this big research paper I have due soon, to those oneshots for this chapter, to the other chapter of the story, to planning for possibly doing NaNoWriMo next month. Not to mention all the tests and presentation I've suddenly been bombarded with. Just thought that if I didn't get this up now, I never would. Anyways, ranting's done with. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Four - Inevitable**

The scene seemed almost like a normal family dinner, except for the fact that there was a white-haired, pregnant ghost at the table. Said ghost was struggling to stay awake with a fork held up to his mouth as conversation was held around him. He was too drained to even reprimand Vlad for the subtle mockery of his father which, as usual, went unnoticed by Jack but earned him a sharp kick under the table from Maddie.

Vlad's pained grimace was immediately followed by a gasp from Danny and the clatter of his fork. He shut his eyes tightly, calling up his ice powers and holding the soothingly cold hands up to his face. Vlad put a hand on his shoulder, and Danny tensed before relaxing again.

"Another one?" Vlad asked, receiving a nod from the white-haired ghost whose eyes were currently red.

"Yeah. They're getting more frequent. Should be any day now," Danny said with a bittersweet look on his face. The feeling of having this child inside him would be gone soon, that connection he'd become so used to would be lessened, but he'd also get to meet his son. Daniel was almost three months over the normal full-ghost formation time, and they'd already heard word of Box Lunch's birth - or Phoebe, as the Box Ghost and the Lunch Lady had named her.

"Are you talking about the hot flashes?" came Jack's enthusiastic voice.

"Not now, Jack, we're in the middle of dinner," Maddie scolded when she saw Jack getting a pen and notepad out.

Vlad's eye twitched, but his face softened when he heard Danny's groan of discomfort next to him. "Do you need an ice pack, Daniel?"

Danny gave him a long, withering look. "I've got ice powers, Vlad. I thought you'd remember that after the millionth time I've used them for this."

"Right, of course. I just wanted to know if you needed any extra help, little badger," Vlad said sheepishly.

Danny looked away with a bored look, muttering the usual, "Fruit loop..." under his breath.

The eighteen year old was truly anxious for the baby to be out, if only so Vlad would stop _looking_ at him that way! The billionaire had been doing it for the past few months. Vlad's new habit of randomly having his eyes glow pink irked him in particular; in turn, Danny's own eyes apparently turned red, even if he wasn't angry or upset, and he had a feeling that Daniel would sometimes laugh at him over his obliviousness - which was ridiculous, since the baby wasn't even born yet. Plus, what could he possibly be so oblivious about? Still, Vlad's stupid new eye trick made him feel weird, made him question whether it wasn't just some plot on Plasmius' part. Maybe he planned to hypnotize him and run off with Daniel to train him in all his evil ways and then proceed to take over the world. Really, this was _Plasmius_, after all.

No, Vlad had been too clingy lately for that. Danny hated to use that word, since it wasn't the right one, but he couldn't come up with anything more fitting. The change had been gradual, sort of. It had started with Vlad avoiding him for so long that he'd had to demand that the older hybrid share his ecto-energy because Daniel was getting angry. Then, one day, Vlad seemed to snap and become a whole other person entirely, acting ridiculously pleasant and seemingly forgetting that Danny was oblivious to his manipulative, billionaire charms. Geez, it was almost as if the guy was trying to _court_ him or something! It made living in the same house almost as unbearable as it had been initially. Danny couldn't help but blame little Daniel, getting that confusing feeling of being laughed at all over again.

Danny's thoughts were cut off by another heat wave from the baby and he closed his eyes against the unpleasant sensations coursing through him. Vlad made to move out of his seat but Danny snapped, "I'm fine! Now, would you _stop smothering me_? I'm not gonna break, Plasmius!"

Vlad frowned, that odd look on his face again. "I just want to make sure that both you and Dan are comfortable, that's all."

"WOULD YOU STOP CALLING HIM THAT?" the young hybrid screamed, and Vlad opened his mouth to reply... but nothing came out. It took Danny a moment to register that the entire kitchen scene had become completely still, from his father raising a fork to his mouth, to a drop of water suspended in midair from the leaky faucet.

"What the...? Mom? Dad? Vlad?" He waved a white-gloved hand in front of Vlad's face, getting no reaction. Danny swallowed. "...Clockwork?" he whispered tentatively.

"It's certainly been a while, Danny."

Danny jumped out of his chair and into a fighting stance at the voice. His body relaxed when he caught sight of the intruder, only to tense again. He couldn't move but to float there and gawk at the Master of Time smiling at him across the kitchen.

The sight wasn't pretty. The ghost's already scarred eye was the first thing to catch Danny's attention, since it was now a gruesome display of carnage with ectoplasm running down Clockwork's blue cheek. Clockwork had his cloak drawn tight around him, a wispy ghost tail peeking out of the bottom where another steady drip of even more ectoplasm was forming a puddle on the floor. The ghost was nearly transparent, and Danny couldn't help but wonder what would happen if a particularly strong gust of wind came by. To see his mentor, the most powerful ghost he knew, in such a state shocked the teen.

"What happened?" Danny asked in a shaky whisper.

Clockwork's single healthy eye narrowed, the smile disappearing from his face. "Nothing that wasn't necessary." Danny shrank under Clockwork's tone, but the time ghost's glare quickly faded into an indifferent look. "I have to apologize for not being there recently. As you can see, I wasn't in the best shape. I'm still not, but..."

"But what? What's going on? I mean, you wouldn't be here if there wasn't a reason, right? Especially since you're..."

Clockwork watched him silently for a while. Then, he smirked and said, "I just wanted to drop in before little Daniel was born."

Danny felt his heart speed up. "Is there something wrong with him? Do you know when he'll be born? Oh, God, he's not going to be involved in some human-ghost warfare, is he?"

"Relax, Danny. I'm supposed to watch over you. Is it really that unexpected that I pay you a visit before you further the Phantom family tree?"

"...I guess not," he conceded hesitantly. "So... _do_ you know when he'll be ready to come out?"

"Soon."

"What day?"

"That would spoil the surprise, now, wouldn't it?" Clockwork chuckled at Danny's irritated look, but just as suddenly as his amusement had come, his face grew grave. "Danny..."

The hybrid couldn't help but grow anxious at the serious tone. "Yeah?"

"You know this isn't going to be easy. You've known since the very moment you were sure Vlad was the father, which is to say you've always known."

"Where are you getting with this?"

"I just want you to remember, above all else, that the future isn't set in stone."

Danny was silent for a few long seconds, contemplating his words. "Why are you telling me this?"

Clockwork surveyed him critically before continuing, "Circumstances change. You see that in the timeline, a constant stream of different directions each person or ghost takes. The choices each one makes... One decision which can affect the entire outcome of something, as you already know." Danny winced, knowing Clockwork was talking about that alternate future.

"But, Clockwork, _why_ are you telling me this? Is it about... the other timeline?"

"There _is_ no other timeline, Danny," the time ghost snapped. "Nothing from that timeline truly exists anymore. There's only now. There's only the choices you make _now_, in _this_ timeline. There's only the people here now... and they're not the ones they would've been in any other time. Not one of them is, or will be. Remember that."

Danny's eyes flashed red and he frowned. "Okay, enough, Clockwork! Just tell me what's going on, already! Am I supposed to do something? Is something going to happen? Because I don't think you came here just to preach to me about - ouch!" Danny cried out as Clockwork cut him off with a conk to the head from his staff.

"Just _listen_, Danny. I'm telling you all that I can to help you. The situation's already delicate enough as it is, now don't ask any more complicated questions."

Danny's eyes faded back to green as his anger evaporated. "Sorry. Was there anything else you wanted to tell me?" he asked tentatively, now afraid. Something was obviously going to happen, or had already happened, if it had Clockwork acting like this. The other ghost sighed heavily.

"I know this goes against what I've told you in the past... but it's time to forget about the other timeline. Permanently."

Danny was taken aback, and he frantically yelled, "What? But everything you taught me! What about making the right choices so I don't turn evil?"

Clockwork shook his head, that same passive look on his face, made somewhat chilling by his injured eye. "The experience has done its job; it has gotten you this far. It's not good for you to be worrying about your own moral values at this point. You're having a son - you should be _sure_ about good and evil by now. Or how will you raise him? That's the difference between you and Vlad; he's sure about his own moral values, even if they're a bit askew at times."

"But Vlad's a fruit loop! He's the villain here! How's _he_ supposed to teach Daniel better moral values than me?" He suddenly paled. "Daniel's not going to be evil... is he?"

Clockwork gave him a hard stare. "That will depend on his own choices, won't it?"

Danny wasn't comforted. He suddenly felt nauseous. "Okay, so you're telling me all this but you won't tell me why. Do you at least have advice to prevent any apocalypses from happening?"

The ghost smirked, once again puzzling Danny with his cryptic mood swings. "I've just told you everything you need to know for the time-being. But back to the first thing I said: Always remember that the future isn't set in stone. TIME IN!"

Danny had barely blinked before the ghost of time was suddenly gone.

"Danny? What are you doing?" came his mother's voice, and he realized he was still floating a few feet away from the table. He turned to see his parents and Vlad staring at him quizzically.

"Nothing," Danny replied after a while of getting his head together. "I'm not really hungry. I'm just gonna head back to the mansion, alright?"

"Daniel, let me come with -"

"I CAN DO IT MYSELF!" Danny snapped at Vlad with red eyes. The man backed away.

"Alright. Just call me if you need something," Vlad squeezed his arm before turning away with a worried glance his way.

Danny paid him no mind as he phased out of the house and in the direction of Vlad's manor.

* * *

It was the next day, September 25th, when a small bundle of green ectoplasm phased out of his mother's chest and into his father's waiting arms. And although both Danny and Vlad waited with bated breath to see their son, they realized that he was simply not willing to turn human just yet, nor was he able to hold a stable ghost form.

A few hours later and Vlad had resigned himself to a long night of tending to Daniel as Plasmius. It was eleven at night when Danny experienced his last brutal hot flashes, which meant that Vlad would have been awake for forty-one hours by the time the baby finished stabilizing; that was assuming it would take the twenty-four hours it did for a normal ghost. To the billionaire's further irritation, the weekend was sure to be filled with Danny's friends and family parading around his home, and he had every intention of letting no one - especially those two careless sidekicks of Danny's - go near his son. Except Danny himself, and perhaps Maddie. To top it all off, it was sure to be chaos once Danny's enemies found out that the half-ghost was no longer pregnant; Vlad knew the ghosts were on the lookout for the first sign of an end to their treaty of sorts. Obviously, this all assured Vlad little to no rest.

It was now four in the morning and Danny, now in human form after going so long as Phantom, stayed close by in Vlad's bedroom. Even at such an ungodly hour, he continued to gaze in wonder at the way the bright green ectoplasm that was his stabilizing son seemed to glitter and glow. Every now and then he could see the outline of a hand or the silhouette of a ghostly tail. Was this how ghosts formed out in the Ghost Zone? Had he ever passed by such a thing and never noticed? How could someone _not_ notice such a spectacle? Or perhaps it was just because this was his son and not just a random ectopus.

His son...

Danny smiled to himself despite the strange emptiness he felt. His feelings were in turmoil, saddened by the loss of the warm half-ghost - even if the last hour of his pregnancy had been spent in a burning inferno while the baby struggled to work its way out of its ectoplasmic cocoon. The connection he'd had with his growing son was gone, but it was all worth it just seeing the way the green specter glowed and flickered inside Vlad's pink ball of energy as it steadily gave itself a ghostly form.

It was a strange thing. Although he'd never have wished this upon himself before (how could he have? He was a _guy_, for God's sake! It _still_ wasn't natural to him!), and _especially_ with Vlad, he wouldn't change it for the world. He was sure Vlad wouldn't, either. Now, nine months later, following so many long periods of freaking out, arguing, and stress, Danny didn't care about any of it. All he cared about was seeing his son's form - it didn't matter whether it was human or ghost.

The flickering ball glowed white, and Danny's eyes widened as he watched his son access his powers and core. A white aura suddenly encased the green energy, flickering several times before it became permanent. Vlad gave him with an exhausted smile which Danny couldn't help but return.

"It seems that Dan might stabilize sooner than we thought," the blue-skinned ghost commented. Danny's eyes flashed green en lieu of red, since he was now in human form.

"How many times have I told you not to call him that?"

Vlad rolled his eyes. "You're Daniel. He's Dan. Why the fuss?"

"He doesn't _like_ Dan," Danny mumbled.

Before Vlad could respond, the baby flickered and glowed a brighter green before a single pair of red orbs gazed at the two.

It had been brief, but his first time gazing at his son's eyes had been enough for Danny to learn two things: his son had inherited his father's red eyes though kept his mother's eye type, and his son did indeed like to be called Dan.

It was a confusing feeling, to be bursting with happiness yet have your heart in your throat at the same time.

* * *

Not twelve hours later, a Plasmius clone barged into Danny's room where his parents had forced him into much needed sleep. In his groggy state, the raven-haired hybrid hadn't understood much from the excited duplicate before it had disappeared. Deciding it was probably important, he began to head over to Vlad's bedroom. On his way there, however, he found himself being unexpectedly tackled in a fierce hug. Getting over his surprise, he broke out in a wide grin at spotting his two best friends.

"Sam! Tucker! When did you guys get here? I thought you weren't supposed to be here 'til tomorrow!"

"I caught a bus here as soon as I got your mom's message. School can wait," Tucker explained with a wide smile, clapping him on the back.

"And I ditched my last class. I got here an hour ago, but you were asleep," Sam chided. "So where is he?"

Danny's grin grew wider. "He's with Vlad. I was actually on my way over to them right now. Just - come on!" He pulled his friends with him as he ran down the hallway. They reached Vlad's room at the same time as Jack and Maddie, who'd obviously gotten a message from one of Plasmius' clones as well. The half-ghost exchanged glances with them before opening the door. The first thing he noticed was the lack of a ghostly glow in the room.

The second thing was the small human child in Vlad's arms, suckling on a baby bottle.

Everyone seemed to hold their breath at that moment. Danny felt someone push him gently forwards. He looked behind him to see Sam nodding encouragingly, Tucker giving a thumbs up, and tears in both Maddie and Jack's eyes. He looked back up and met Vlad's gaze, an indiscernible look in the half-ghost's blue eyes. Danny took those last few steps and crawled into the king-size bed where Vlad and the baby lay propped up against several pillows, Vlad obviously trying his best not to stay awake.

As if he sensed his mother near, the baby moved the bottle away from his mouth with his tiny hands, making a noise of protest until Vlad took it away and placed it on the nightstand. Daniel continued to stir and Danny made to scoop him into his arms, but Vlad held on tightly. Rather than giving the withering stare he usually would've, Danny smile encouragingly at the other hybrid. Vlad reluctantly let go, subtly leaning into Danny. For once, Danny didn't mind, too captivated by the child in his arms.

He was beautiful. Smooth white skin, a tuft of jet black hair on the top of his head, and even now he could see Daniel's features perfectly imitated his own. The most breath-taking thing, though, were the eyes gazing up at him. They weren't red in this form, but rather a pair of lapis lazuli pools which were a perfect homage to his father's above him.

"He looks just like you, son," Jack whispered next to him, and Danny noticed everybody coming closer to take a look. Vlad tensed briefly next to him, but he relaxed under the look Danny gave him. Vlad draped an arm protectively over his shoulders and Danny rolled his eyes, flushing for reasons he couldn't discern when he saw Sam and Tucker watch the exchange with raised eyebrows.

"But he's got my eyes. In ghost form, too," Vlad commented with a proud smile.

"You've seen his ghost form?" Maddie and Danny both asked. The billionaire shook his head.

"No. He transformed as soon as he stabilized, and I couldn't focus enough to see much. He's got blue transformation rings, however. And if I'm not mistaken, I caught a glimpse of white hair. And I do believe he has my skin color."

Danny's eyes sparkled and he turned his gaze back to Daniel. The room was silent for several minutes, everybody too busy staring at the baby who was slowly beginning fall asleep. Suddenly, Danny got an idea.

"Do you think he'd go ghost if I did it first? Like when you'd coax him to turn back when he'd turn human inside me?" Danny asked in a quiet whisper.

Vlad opened his eyes from where he'd been dozing off leaning again Danny. "We could try."

"You want to?"

"Well, it would be nice to see his first transformation," Vlad smiled. "Why not?"

Danny nodded. "I'm going ghost, then." And with that, he allowed transformation rings to wash over him, Vlad doing the same.

The two now ghosts looked down at the baby in Danny's arms for a while. Everyone gathered let out a breath when nothing happened after a few seconds. Suddenly, Daniel stirred, and a blue-white light appeared at his waist, splitting into two rings which slowly went up and down his tiny body. Danny watched in wonder as his son transformed before his eyes.

Right before his world came crashing down to the soundtrack of Sam and Tucker's gasps.

The image was unmistakable; the pointed ears, the seafoam green skin and white tuft of firey hair flickering on his head. Mostly, though, it was the red eyes that stared up at him so inappropriately innocently. Danny didn't realize he'd started shaking, but Vlad did.

"Daniel?" Vlad whispered his name worriedly. Danny didn't react, still staring wide-eyed and confused at his son. At Dark Dan Phantom. He was oblivious to the voices around him commenting on Daniel's... _Dan's_ ghost form and calling out to him. The first voice to reach him was Tucker's as he attempted to lighten up the mood.

"Hey! You're like Katherine Thorne! You know, from _The Omen_!"

Unfortunately, it had been the wrong thing to say, and the situation was not made better in the slightest. Danny closed his eyes tightly against the confused and angry tears behind the lids. _Clockwork... why didn't you tell me? Why would you let this happen? I spent nine months waiting for my son, only to see **him**. What am I supposed to do if I can't even look at my own son?_

His head - no, his world was spinning. He could hear Vlad talking next to him and squeezing his shoulders, could hear Sam yelling and Tucker trying to defend himself, could hear his mother's concerned voice in his ear. But none of their words made it past his shock. All that was there were the red eyes staring so innocently into his soul. After what seemed like an eternity, the voices stopped except for the muffled yelling in the hall. His eyes snapped open and he looked up when he felt Daniel being taken out of his arms. Glancing around the room he noticed it was now just him, Vlad, and the baby. _The baby. Oh, God._

"Daniel. Tell me what's wrong," he heard Vlad's soft yet firm voice demand, and he realized too late as he met the man's gaze that he had tears in his eyes. He looked away and wiped furiously at them, jumping to his feet when he felt Vlad try to grab his chin. He wrapped his arms around himself, breathing rapidly.

Vlad cradled Daniel protectively to his chest, eyes glowing an intense red from the younger half-ghost's unresponsiveness. "Explain why you took one look at your son's ghost form and had some sort of mental breakdown!" Vlad demanded again, this time more forcefully. Danny still didn't answer, which further infuriated him. "Daniel -"

He was cut off by Sam and Tucker barging in through the (previously locked) door. Vlad wouldn't keep them out when their friend needed them, after all. Vlad bared his teeth at them, his glare enough to send a chill up their spines. "_Get out!_" he snarled.

They ignored him and ran over to their friend, who was still in a state of shock at the situation. "It's just a coincidence, Danny," Tucker tried to assure him. "I mean, it _is_ yours and Vlad's baby, dude."

Danny shook his head frantically, refusing to look at him. "No! Clockwork _knew_, Tucker! He knew, and he didn't do anything to stop it! This _can't_ be just a coincidence, he -"

"But, Danny, how do you know? I mean, he doesn't bother to be there the whole time you're pregnant but you still go and blindly trust him!" Sam cut in.

Danny wrapped his arms tighter around himself. "This is all wrong! He -"

Suddenly, the three felt themselves grabbed before pink smoke invaded their vision. Once it cleared, they found themselves in one of the guest bedrooms facing a murderous-looking Plasmius. The ghost was holding up a glowing pink hand which he clearly had every intention of using if they so much as breathed wrong.

"You two will say nothing! This is none of your concern!" he hissed, pointing his charged hand at an irritated Sam and an anxious Tucker. "And _you_!" He pointed it at Danny. "You will explain. _Now_."

Danny looked at him with fearful eyes. He tried to come up with something to say but came up empty except for the question, "Where is he?"

"I didn't leave him alone, if that's what you're insinuating. There's a duplicate tending to him. _I'm_ not the one who's seemingly terrified of our child, you little rat!" Vlad took a deep breath, his hands extinguishing but the furious gleam remaining in his red eyes. "What is _wrong_ with you?"

"Okay, Plasmius, I'm _not_ staying quiet because this _is_ our concern!" Sam snapped at him. "And if you want answers, you're going to have to treat us a little better because knowing Danny, you won't be getting anything out of him!" she finished, giving a hard look to both half-ghosts. Danny was taken aback by Sam's snappy tone which seemed just as equally directed at him.

"Why are you mad at _me_?" Danny asked with a hysterical pitch in his voice, not in a state to be dealing with his friend against him on top of everything.

"You idiot! I might hate Vlad, but he has the right to know after what you just pulled in the bedroom! And, like you said, what if it's not a coincidence? Then he _has_ to know! And you're too much of a stubborn jerk to talk to anybody!"

Tucker tried to cut her off at seeing his male friend crumbling in front of him, but she held up a fist as soon as he opened his mouth. He backed down, deciding it was better to let her have this one out, especially once he caught sight of Vlad's contemplative - yet significantly calmer - look. The vampiric ghost had now obviously become interested in the teens' feud.

"Sam... I _can't_," Danny said in a raspy whisper.

"Because you never tried, Danny! You kept pushing us away after it happened, and Jazz was the only one who ever bothered to tell us anything - not that she remembered everything, obviously. Do you know what it's like, Danny? For Tucker and I to have watched you walk around like a zombie for months while you told us _nothing_? Just that some ghost had saved the day and set everything right somehow? The same ghost who we'd last seen smashing you into a bell and trying to cut through you with a scythe? What do you think it was like for Jazz to have heard you wake up screaming in the middle of the night? We spent so much time trying to remember something that wasn't even there so we could _help_ you, but we always came up empty because some stupid ghost thought it was a good idea to erase our memories! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT WAS LIKE?" she finished, fuming after releasing three years of pent up resentment. Danny was at a loss for words while Vlad seemed just as shocked, though for different reasons.

Vlad saw that the gothic girl was obviously too angry to do anything but bite his head off, so he turned to the dark boy and voiced his next question with much more composure than before. "Just what in God's name happened to you all?"

The three teenagers turned to look at him. Danny lowered his head in shame, knowing he wouldn't be able to start the conversation, just as Sam had predicted. He looked pleadingly at Tucker, silently asking him to do this for him. Sam, shaking in frustration, stomped angrily over to an armchair and fell into it. Tucker took a seat on the armchair next to her, leaving the two half-ghosts to float in place. Tucker looked at the scarlet-eyed ghost and took a deep breath.

"It was during our freshman year. We were going to take the CAT's, but Danny had been having a lot of problems with ghosts so he hadn't had much time to study," he looked at the white-haired ghost only to see him float off into a corner, lost in his own thoughts. Tucker continued, "While he was trying to study, a ghost named Box Lunch showed up from the future."

"Daughter of the Box Ghost and the Lunch Lady. Phoebe, right now," Sam added and Vlad's eyes widened a fraction. Before he could intervene, Sam continued.

"Danny fought her, and they ended up at the Nasty Burger. There was an explosion, and Danny somehow phased through our teacher's briefcase and got the answers to the CAT's stuck to him. It was an accident, but..." she trailed off and bit her lip.

"I was going to cheat," Danny said in a strained, monotone voice from his corner of the room. "But then another ghost showed up from the future. Skultech 9.9 - combination of Skulker and Technus. We fought and... we ended up in Clockwork's tower."

"Wait a second! You're saying you've actually _met_ Clockwork?" Vlad asked in disbelief. Of course there were some well-known ghosts, and Clockwork was among the most widely known. Vlad had heard the rumor; he was allegedly one of the most powerful ghosts in existence, though he rarely showed himself except in dire situations.

Danny grew quiet again. Tucker cleared his throat to regain Vlad's attention, continuing from where he left off. "Yeah, we met him. When we first got to Clockwork's tower, we saw the future in a big time portal. And it... well, it showed Danny in the future. Sort of."

"It showed his evil, jerky future self," Sam said bluntly and Danny cringed. "Dark Dan Phantom, ten years in the future. He ended up destroying the whole world and the Ghost Zone. Although, we never quite found out how that came to be." At this, she gave Danny a sharp glance.

Danny didn't look at her. He only looked at Vlad, who had a questioning look on his face, only to turn his green-eyed gaze to the floor. Sam frowned angrily while Tucker continued retelling their story to Vlad. "Danny fought Clockwork for a bit after he found us in his tower. Eventually, we jumped into the big time portal and ended up in Amity Park ten years in the future. It was... _horrible_. Everything was destroyed. You could... smell the _bodies_ on the street. We met up with future Valerie, who told us we _died_ in an explosion. And she said it was all Phantom's fault -"

"It _was_ all my fault!" Danny yelled, though still refusing to look at any of them. The three turned their heads in his direction. "When Sam and Tucker got back to the present, D-Dan Phantom threw me into the Ghost Zone with a time medallion fused inside me so I couldn't g-go back while he went to the present disguised as m-me. All the ghosts he had hurt tried to k-kill me as revenge - Ember, Johnny 13, the Box Ghost... t-they said, 'You're responsible for everything that's h-happened to your world and ours... t-to everyone you've ever come in c-contact with. Your family, your f-friends...'"

"Danny," Sam whispered, looking at him sympathetically. Danny was breathing heavily at this point, his face in his hands so his voice was slightly muffled as he went on.

"I got my Ghostly Wail out of nowhere then and f-fended them off. I went to Vlad's portal in the future and he t-told me how it happened... I cheated on the CAT. Mr. Lancer found out and called my parents to a conference at the Nasty Burger. The vat of nasty sauce exploded and you all _died_!" He finally met their worried gazes with his own wide eyes, locking eyes with Vlad. "I was alone, so I went to you. The only one who could ever hope to understand me. But I c-couldn't take the pain - I asked you to rip out m-my humanity so I-I wouldn't hurt anymore. When you ripped out my ghost half, it o-overpowered you and ripped out your _own_ ghost half.

"Your evil half mixed with mine and created a monster. I-I was the monster, I had enough evil inside me to turn into _that_! And when I asked about what happened to my human half, y-you told me that... that some things were better left unsaid." Danny took several deep breaths as his friends gawked at him and Vlad gave him an expressionless stare. Sam and Tucker knew that Danny had gone to Vlad's at some point, since Jazz had told them about the note she sent. However, they didn't know about the birth of Phantom, or that he'd gone to the billionaire for comfort after everyone was killed.

Vlad was simply astounded by the fact that he could, in some alternate reality, have been so foolish as to try and split Danny's ghost and human halves - especially when the two were so volatile from the emotional turmoil Danny must have been experiencing. What must the two of them have gone through to get to that point? What must Vlad himself have gone through to get to that point? And the boy... his _mate_ was obviously in so much pain over the whole ordeal.

"Daniel..."

Danny ignored him and took a shuddering breath to calm himself. "You used these Ghost Gauntlets to get the time medallion out of me and return me to my own time. I thought you were going to waste me but... you didn't." He paused. "After that, I arrived in the present in time to stop D-Dan Phantom from killing everyone. I fought him and trapped him in a thermos. Only I didn't stop him in time. Clockwork did. He stopped time just as the Nasty Burger exploded, and he saved everyone. He g-gave me a second chance to be a good p-person..." Danny descended to the ground from where he was floating, leaning against the wall and staring at his knees. A heavy silence permeated the room.

"Danny, why didn't you just talk to us?" Sam asked softly.

"Because I didn't _want_ to talk about it," he said, dejectedly. "I thought that if I ignored it, it would go away. That if I didn't bring it up and just tried my best to do good, I wouldn't turn evil. But two days ago, Clockwork visited me while Vlad and I were having dinner with my parents. The day before... D-Daniel was born."

Two surprised faces and one contemplative one stared back at him. Vlad blinked, remembering the strange feeling of having missed something right before Danny had taken off and locked himself away all night. "And?" Vlad prodded.

Danny seemed calmer, an exhausted look on his face. "He started telling me all these things that just made no sense. He told me to remember that the future isn't set in stone. To forget the alternate timeline. That Vlad would somehow raise our son better because he doesn't worry about his morals or something. That there was only this timeline and that the people in it weren't the same as in that other one... God, it all makes sense, now," he mumbled the last part to himself. "It was never a coincidence... He knew all along."

Vlad still hid his confusion behind a thoughtful mask. He was surprised that through all his spying, especially during the boy's freshman year, he'd somehow missed catching this traumatic experience. Still, he remained bemused by the whole thing. "What does this have to do with little Daniel?"

Sam and Tucker hesitantly turned to look at Danny, who swallowed nervously before answering.

"Dark Dan Phantom was a combination of our two ghost halves. He had red eyes, pointy ears, seafoam green skin, and flaming white hair," he explained while he avoided looking at anyone. The billionaire stared at him in blank shock at hearing the description of his own child currently sleeping in his bedroom, seemingly the same as some murderous ghost who in some dimension had managed to take over the world.

"That's why you get so upset when I call him Dan," he confirmed. Danny nodded. "That's why you're afraid of him now."

"I'm not afraid of our son!" Danny snapped, and Vlad raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "It's just... Clockwork sounded really serious about his warnings. And... and this _can't_ just be a coincidence. I had so many nightmares while I was pregnant about the alternate future! Stuff I never dreamed of before, stuff I thought I'd gotten over, stuff I thought my head was just making up! Dammit, the baby's claustrophobic! You know that, Vlad! And Dan Phantom's been trapped in a thermos for three years!" Suddenly, Danny froze, his eyes widening.

"Danny?" Tucker called out.

"'Nothing from that timeline truly exists anymore,'" Danny quoted Clockwork, though the other three looked at him in bewilderment. "What if... what if he got out?" Sam and Tucker looked at him in horror.

"That's not possible, man. Clockwork was watching him, right?" Tucker said.

"And Clockwork was... he wasn't right when he showed up. He was hurt. And he wouldn't tell me what happened, only that it was necessary." Sam and Tucker's eyes widened. "He got out. He got out and he somehow ended up inside of me. I... I d-didn't become him. But I still _created_ him. Oh my God, my son is Dark Dan -"

"No, he isn't," Vlad interjected firmly, even a bit angrily. "Even if by some freak accident that psychopathic ghost _had_ gotten out of its thermos and _somehow_ its ecto-energy had combined with ours while we were... at the Truce Party... little Daniel is a half-ghost. Meaning he possesses both our human sides - our humanity - and despite what you may think of me, Daniel, I am _not_ a heartless person. And you, boy, are the single most _sickeningly_ good person I know. So get this ridiculous idea out of your head that our son is some evil spawn of Satan!"

Danny looked taken aback, as did Sam and Tucker.

"I never thought I'd agree with Vlad, but he's right, Danny," the goth girl conceded.

"Yeah. I mean, it's not like the kid _looks_ evil or anything. He looks like any newborn, only with green skin and all," Tucker added.

Sam nodded. "Besides... do you _really_ think that your baby has the same eyes as your jerky alternate self? We _saw_ Dark Phantom up close. And... that was evil, Danny. Your baby isn't."

Danny cast his gaze down before looking back up at her. "No. I guess he isn't." _His eyes are so different..._ "I want to go see him," he said to Vlad, his mind suddenly made up. The older half-ghost nodded before turning to the other two teenagers.

"If you'll excuse us, now, I'd appreciate it if you didn't come barging into my personal quarters this time around," Vlad told them with a hard look before taking Danny by the arm and teleporting them to the billionaire's room. Once there, the blue-skinned ghost grabbed a dresser and effortlessly put it down in front of the door, obviously an extra measure so they wouldn't be disturbed by Danny's friends or parents, or his sister who was due to arrive any minute now.

Danny, meanwhile, turned to look at the baby half-ghost sleeping so innocently next to a Plasmius duplicate on the bed. The clone disappeared soon enough, and Daniel stirred a little before his real father, now in human form, softly lowered himself onto the bed. Danny hesitated but also morphed back before laying down on the bed as well. A short silence transpired between them before Vlad broke it.

"Daniel, I'm not an evil person," he began. "Looking back I do realize I haven't made the best choices at times. You can rest assured, however, that I would never want our son to go down the wrong path. I want him to be a good person just as much as you do. An assertive person, yes, but a good person nonetheless."

"What about me, though?" Danny questioned. "Clockwork said it himself. I've spent so much time worrying about turning evil. What if I can't raise a child? _This_ child, especially? I mean..." Danny bit his lip as he looked down at the sleeping ghost. "What if I'm not good enough?" he asked himself quietly.

"The first place to start would be to do as this Clockwork told you and forget about that alternate future. It didn't happen, after all, did it?"

"But -"

"You're going to let a child, a baby who's mere hours old and has yet to do anything wrong, live in the shadows of some obsolete timeline? It's simple, Daniel. This isn't Dan Phantom you have in front of you. This is Dan Fenton."

Danny shuddered at the name, though looking at Daniel's ghost form it was obvious that the name Dan fit perfectly. Of course it did - he was the mirror image of Dan Phantom! Well, minus the eyes... "I just don't want him grow up to be evil."

"You can't think in such black and white terms, Daniel. The world comes in shades of gray, and that includes you and I. I'm sure you've made wrong choices. A little revenge against your enemies at school, a few pranks I know you've pulled. Nobody's all good or all bad."

Danny shook his head. "There _is_ such a thing as evil, Vlad! I've seen it!"

"And because of some apparent evil you've seen that never was, you're going to do as you were told _not_ to and judge someone in this timeline as if they were someone in that other one."

Danny sighed. "...I'm scared I won't do a good job."

"You will," Vlad assured him. "You'll have me by your side, after all. We'll just have to work together to make sure he leads a happy life."

Danny mulled over what Vlad had said. Working together with Vlad... who'd've thought? "Because hurt people make bad decisions, don't they?" Danny looked pointedly at Vlad.

"They do..." Vlad conceded with a frown.

They sat in contemplative silence for a while before Vlad propped his head up on one hand, tapping his fingers on the bedspread with the other. "You know, Danny..." Danny looked at him quizzically with Vlad's use of his nickname. "Perhaps it would be good to give little Daniel some sort of stability growing up..."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we both know that ours isn't the most stable situation. I mean, we've all but tried to maul each other numerous times before this whole thing happened. And little Daniel will already have to lie about his parentage and ghost half. So I was thinking that, perhaps, it would be a good idea to give him something of a... real family of sorts?"

It was at that point that Danny noticed Vlad's eyes were glowing pink again. The difference between all the other times and this time, however, was that something shone through the other half-ghosts eyes - not to mention his silky voice. It was then that Danny finally recognized the _look_ Vlad had had on his face whenever he'd looked at him lately. It was the same love-struck look he'd given his mother in the past.

Oh, no...

Danny jerked off the bed, landing in a heap on the floor and jumping to his feet in an impressive roll.

"You've got to be kidding me!" he exclaimed, a look of horror on his face. "You are _not_ in love with me!"

Vlad frowned, an indignant look on his face. "Oh, don't be so dramatic! You're not exactly who I would've picked if given the choice, either!"

"What do you mean 'if given the choice?' I'm eighteen! I'm a _guy_! And not that it isn't still totally wrong, but what about Mom?"

Vlad sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look, Daniel. We're already in this situation together. We have a child, and we've somehow ended up as soulmates, so maybe it'd be a good idea to -"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! I am _not_ your soulmate, you fruit loop! Now stay away from me!"

"Would you stop yelling? There's a sleeping baby in the room!" he scolded in a hushed whisper. "And I'm sorry to inform you so long after the fact, but we are indeed mates. Or haven't you looked in the mirror lately?"

Danny's eyes narrowed. He turned to a vanity table behind him only to see red rather than blue or green eyes staring back at him. The red eyes widened in surprise. "What did you do?" he hissed, turning back to the man with a glare.

Vlad gave him an incredulous look. "How are you so misinformed after having carried a ghost inside you for nine months?"

"Well, sorry, oh mighty Plasmius, knower of all things involving male pregnancies! But I was under the impression that half-ghosts don't have to be mates to have children! After all, _you_ were the one who told me so!"

"...It appears I was wrong."

Danny blinked. "What?"

"I said I was wrong... perhaps it _is_ half-ghosts, or perhaps it's just us - we're not the most amicable, after all - but the signs were a bit delayed for the two of us."

"Signs?"

"That two ghosts are soulmates," Vlad clarified. "With ghosts, there's two mates: the protective mate and the aggressive mate. The aggressive mate has the ability to bear children, and the protective mate has the ability to nurture them. The... protective mate attracts the aggressive one by changing eye colors to something more appealing, as well as releasing a scent that's equally as appealing to its mate. The aggressive mate responds by changing eye colors as well."

Danny gawked at him, paling when he realized they'd accidentally - on his part, at least - been involved in some ghostly mating ritual for the past three months. "What the hell is up with ghosts? It's like they're animals!"

"In a sense. We _are_ different creatures, after all."

"Just shut up, Vlad."

The man couldn't help but smirk at seeing the young hybrid so flustered. "What does it smell like, little badger?"

"What?" Danny's asked, startled by the non-sequitor.

"What does it smell like?" Vlad repeated, his eyes seeming to glow an even more unnatural magenta.

Danny was about to give an insulting retort but paused when he realized that... it smelled _really good_. It was familiar, too, though much more intense than he was accustomed to. He'd come across that smell several times now, which was probably it hadn't registered right away. It was like... like...

"Like spearmint, incense, and the ocean," he blurted out dreamily before he realized he'd even opened his mouth.

"What about now?"

And just as suddenly as it had come, it was gone again. He opened his eyes (when had he closed them?) and saw Vlad's eyes were back to their original blue. It took Danny several minutes of staring at Vlad's infuriatingly smug smile in a disorientated state before he realized exactly what had happened.

"I hate you so much,' he said with a half-hearted glare.

"Ah, but that's not what your eyes say."

Danny smacked at his face, trying to get rid of the red eye coloring through the action. Vlad's chuckling let him know he was just being messed with. Again. He simmered for a second before (quietly) stomping over to the bed again and sitting cross-legged on it.

"I'm not happy about this gay ghost-crush you have on me, Plasmius, and I don't plan on reciprocating. Even if we _were_ mates or whatever."

"But of course," the billionaire said patronizingly.

"I mean it!"

"It's only a matter of time, little badger."

"That's what you said about my mom." Danny couldn't help but smirk at the glare his last words earned him. They fell into a comfortable silence again after that.

Danny looked down at Daniel again, seeing that the sleeping ghost had adopted a ghostly tail at some point and was now holding onto it with his tiny hands. Danny's face softened, though conflict was still clear in his eyes. He'd thought being the town hero had been difficult, but he'd discovered a whole new level of complications when he'd gotten pregnant. Now, he knew _nothing_ could top this new challenge of raising his worst enemy.

But was it really his worst enemy? These past few months, he'd felt the baby's emotions; his distress, his joy, his annoyance, his fear, and his sadness. Daniel wasn't evil, was he? He was a _baby_, for God's sake. And the way Daniel had looked at him wasn't even _close_ to the way Dan Phantom had once looked at him.

So what was he supposed to do? Was he really supposed to forget that other timeline? Was he somehow supposed to put aside three years of turmoil and self-doubt and pretend he was suddenly okay with everything? Oh, where the heck was Jazz when you needed her?

Vlad had said he wanted to make sure their son was a good person. Somehow, Danny believed him. Maybe it was because he'd been spending too much time with the billionaire, but he trusted Vlad to keep his word on that. It was his son, too, after all. And he knew his friends would be there for him through thick and thin. But could he really trust _himself_ to love and care for this child? He hated himself for thinking it. It was only because Daniel looked exactly like Dan Phantom, after all. Or that he _was_ Dan Phantom, in a way, though he desperately wanted to believe Vlad that Daniel had all the humanity the two of them possessed combined. No, he _had_ to believe Vlad.

Because he had loved that child since he'd accepted that he was pregnant. He'd felt Daniel grow and flourish inside of him, he'd seen him form in front of his very eyes. Daniel was a part of him, one he couldn't just toss aside, no matter how hard he were to try. So why was he afraid of something so inevitable? Why was he afraid of his own son?

No, he knew why. He wasn't confident enough in his abilities to raise this child properly. How many ways could he mess up before Daniel turned to evil? It was like Clockwork had said: how could he raise a child when he was so doubtful of himself?

"Vlad?" he called out tentatively, only to realize the other half-ghost was fast asleep.

_What am I doing?_ he thought to himself after a moment's pause. _I'm a __**hero**__! I'm supposed to save people when they need it! I'm supposed to protect my family and friends, and now I have even more family to protect. Even if it's from my own mistakes or, if it comes down to it, from themselves._

A determined light suddenly shone in his blue eyes, which briefly flashed green from the feelings building inside him. _No! I'm not going to let Daniel live with my mistakes! Mistakes which never even happened! Vlad and I will do fine, and Daniel will be a good person. He'll be his __**own**__ person._

Danny ran his fingers gently through the tiny white flame on the child's head, surprised that it didn't burn him, but rather felt like the caress of his own ectoplasm in his hands.

"You'll be fine, little Dan," he whispered. "I promise."

* * *

**End notes:** Yes, that's a "The Omen" reference up there. Katherine Thorne was Damien, i.e. the Anti-Christ's adoptive mother. Tucker has no tact. This chapter was so hard to write, for some reason. Too much dialog summarizing an entire episode, but it had to happen. Oh, but how I did love writing all the bits between Vlad and Danny. Anyways, here ends Act One. See you next chapter!


	6. A Charming Young Man

**Notes:** Well, I've gotta say I had fun writing this chapter. I didn't even know where to start at first with writing _any_ five year old, let alone little Dan. I finally got into it, though, and now I don't want him to grow up! Hehe. And yes, Dan's five years old. Sorry to skip his baby years, people, but it had to be done. Anyways, I'm pretty proud of this chapter. Hope it's as good for you guys!

Some details for the time skip and other things that won't be explicitly addressed in the story or at least this chapter: For now, Phoebe will be Box Lunch's name. You know, until her and little Dan come up with ghost names of their own. Vlad is no longer mayor - he decided to forgo re-election a few years back in order to focus on his son. Plus, he really has little need for making Danny's life miserable now, after all. The circumstances do that all on their own, hehe. Danny's a middle school science teacher - sixth grade, to be exact. It's what I figured was the best option for a single dad who sucks at math yet still likes astronomy. I just remember learning about planets in sixth grade, haha. But yes, I'm quite fond of the idea as Danny's future career. What about the rest of Team Phantom, you may ask? In this story, Jazz is a therapist (duh), Tucker's a software developer (duh x2) and Sam works with the ASPCA (you know she'd be a hardcore animal cop, you know it fits). Ghost-wise, it's a bit calmer for Danny, since Vlad's got an iron fist over his enemies and all. You know he does. However, Danny's parents have been raking in the dough from a boost in the ghost-hunting business, since ghosts have still gotten mysteriously rowdy over the past six years. I didn't say they didn't bother Amity Park, they're just not bothering Danny or Dan, hah. Anyways, Fenton Works gets to take care of things, and Danny gets to take care of his son. It all works out. For now, at least.

Oh, by the way, I say Vlad knows Russian. Because every sexy villain with a Slavic name should know Russian. Let's just say his grandparents were immigrants.

I also got one of the oneshots for this story up just before I posted this. It's Vlad/Danny-tastic, if anyone's interested. :D

One last thing: I'll be doing NaNoWriMo, so at least in November I won't have as much time to be working on this, since I'll be working on my NaNo project. Updates will be slower for the month. I'm doing a ghost story, of all things. So very excited! ^.^

Ahem. Now! Let's meet little Dark, shall we? :D

* * *

**Chapter Five - A Charming Young Man**

Danny remembered his first day of kindergarten well enough. He'd been very excited to get out of his house for a few hours a day and make new friends, letting go of his mother's hand and running into the classroom that morning. That was the day he'd first met Tucker, too. All in all, it had been a great experience.

Unfortunately, this wasn't the case with his five year old son, who he was currently fighting tooth-and-nail with to get them past the parking lot and into Amity Park Elementary School.

"I don't wanna go to school! I wanna go to Dad's and play with Skulker!" Dan screamed, and Danny had to make his arm intangible to avoid getting bitten by the boy's unnaturally sharp teeth.

"Dan, Skulker's busy with daddy right now. He doesn't _want_ to play with you," Danny said, trying to be patient while pulling the five year old towards his class by the wrist and preventing him from phasing out of his grip at the same time.

"Yeah, he does!"

"Skulker playing with you and Skulker blasting at you to get his weapons back are two very different things!" he countered, reminding himself to yell at Vlad later for letting Dan hang around malevolent ghosts.

"But, Mom -"

"Don't be difficult, Dan. You're _going_ to school. We've discussed this."

"No! Why can't _you_ be my teacher?"

"Because I don't teach kindergarten, sweetie. And you have to go to school and make friends your own age. Be social."

"I don't wanna make friends with humans!" Dan snapped, glaring at his mother.

"Dan! Not so loud!" Danny hissed. "And you're half-human, too!"

"But they're not half-ghost so I can't use my powers!"

"You can use them when you get home," Danny told him dismissively. "Plus, you're going to your dad's after-school, remember? You'll have plenty of time to use them. Now, I think it's time for class, don't you?"

"I'm not going -" Dan didn't get to finish his sentence, since the next thing he knew he was coughing as the thick green smoke around him cleared. His blue eyes narrowed when he saw his mother had teleported them into a janitor's closet inside the school. Fuming, the boy bit into his mother's hand which still held his wrist, feeling strangely satisfied at the yelp this earned him.

"What have we said about biting, Dan?" the man scolded.

"I don't wanna go," he pouted.

Danny sighed, rubbing his temple. "Look, it won't be so bad. You'll learn new things, color a bit, and before you know it I'll be here to pick you up."

Dan didn't answer, glaring at nothing in particular as he let his mother drag him out of the janitor's closet, into the empty hallway, and to his classroom.

The first thing that met him once inside was the screaming of the other kids. The next was some redheaded lady with a sickeningly sweet voice drawling out, "And who might _this_ be?"

Dan didn't look at her, letting his mom talk with the teacher as his anger faded into curiosity. The classroom was decked out in too-bright colors, nothing like the green and gold theme of his father's manor or the midnight blue and beige of his mother's apartment. The alphabet and small words decorating the room made Dan frown in confusion, wondering just what he was supposed to learn here when his father had already taught him to read and write.

His eyes wandered over the other kids in the classroom, not understanding how he was supposed to make friends with kids who seemed more hyperactive than a cage full of gerbils yet couldn't even produce ectoplasm. Why was his mom always so proud that they were one of them? It seemed so unfair to him when, because they were part human, he had to go to school here and lie about who he was.

Plus, why wasn't his dad doing anything about this? He was always the who made sense and actually seemed to _like_ being half-ghost! His dad never scolded him for using his invisibility or intangibility in public - nobody ever caught him, after all, so why should he get in trouble? Dan had thought that his father would put a stop to this whole "school" thing; apparently, that wasn't the case.

"Okay, Dan, I'm leaving! Good luck, I'll pick you up after school, I love you, bye!"

His mother ruffled his shaggy black hair and was out the door before Dan even had a chance to blink.

_He just left me here!_ he thought, trying his best to keep his eyes from glowing red, knowing it would be a very bad thing if anyone saw. The thought made him even more frustrated, and he squeezed his eyes shut, fisting his hands to keep tears at bay.

His own mother had abandoned him in some tacky room full of hyperactive kids who couldn't even read. And he wasn't even allowed to use his powers at _all_, so how was he even supposed to do_anything_? He shrugged off the teacher's hand on his shoulder and ignored her grating voice, moving over to a table and dropping into the brightly-colored chair. Once he was sure he wouldn't cry, he opened his eyes to glare holes into the mustard-yellow tabletop.

"Dan, sweetie?" the teacher said, kneeling next to him. Dan resisted the urge to bite the hand resting on the back of his chair. "Your dad will be back real soon, alright? But you're going to have lots of fun today, I promise! Now, why don't you go play with the other kids?"

"Okay," Dan quickly agreed, if only so the teacher would leave him alone already. He got out of his chair and looked around the room. Once again, his frustration quickly melded into something else. This time, nervousness at the mass of other children running around the room and playing their own little games. The only other kid his age that he knew was Box Lunch, and most of the time he spent with her consisted of chasing her away from him and blasting her back into the nearest portal. On the very rare occasion that their play dates were a mutual idea, they usually played much deadlier games than the round of Duck Duck Goose going on to his right.

In short, Dan was unsure of what to do with himself. How was he supposed to make friends when he was so _different_ from all of them? But seeing the teacher walking over to him, he quickly made up his mind and ran to the other side of the room where a group of boys were playing a game.

He stood there awkwardly, shooting nervous glances from the teacher to the kids in front of him. Eventually, a chubby boy with brown hair stopped his running around to look at him. "Hey, you wanna play with us?"

Dan jumped at being addressed, seeing that the rest of the boys had stopped their game to look at him as well. "Uh, what are you playing?"

"We're playing cops and robbers!" a blond boy answered.

The half-ghost child grinned. He'd seen the children's game on a TV show, though he'd never played it himself, but it sounded fun enough for him to get excited at the prospect. "I wanna be the robber!"

The brunette boy smiled and nodded. "Okay! I'm a robber too, my name's Zacky. Steven and Nick are the cops," he said, pointing to each of the two other boys in turn. "Come on, let's go! We just stoled a jillion dollars from the bank and they're after us!"

And with that, the four started their game. Although it awkward at first, Dan eventually found himself giggling as he ran away from the other boys and tumbled around the room, using his enhanced reflexes to duck behind objects and dodge imaginary bullets.

Sensing Steven sneaking up behind him, he grabbed Zacky and sprinted for cover under a table. Nick, however, appeared on their right before they could make it and pointed his hand, currently mimicking a gun, at the two. "Surrender now! Give back the money, robbers!" Nick cried.

Dan's eyes narrowed in mischief as he looked from Nick to an easel across the room. If he could only get behind that, he could shoot from behind it and beat the two other boys. They'd never be able to get him there! With a gleeful laugh, Dan tumbled on the ground and jumped into the air, ready to fly at light-speed towards his goal.

So used to being in his ghost form when he played, Dan had taken that easy leap that would've propelled him into flight. In human form, however, that leap wasn't quite so easy. Instead, he fell forward, flat on his face and into a pile of building blocks, destroying the small city some other kids had been working on.

"You broke our castle!" a curly-haired girl cried, scowling at the young half-ghost.

"You're dumb, why did you do that? You made them catch me!" Zacky said next, the two other boys they'd been playing with grinning from ear to ear.

Dan could feel his temper rising at the laughter from the other kids. He shut his eyes when he felt them turn red again.

"Hey, Dan's crying!" some boy yelled, and more laughter filled the room.

This only made Dan feel worse. He wasn't crying, he just couldn't use his ghost powers! And for what, so he could be surrounded by a bunch of dumb kids who couldn't even fly or blast stuff? What kinds of games _were_ these, anyways?

"Dan! Oh, gosh, are you alright, sweetheart? Are you hurt?" the teacher asked, helping him up.

"I'm fine!" he snapped in a choked voice, still forced to keep his eyes closed for fear of their ghostly glow. "Cops and robbers is a dumb game, anyways! And their castle didn't even look like a castle!"

With that, Dan stomped away from the crowd and to a table by a bookshelf. He grabbed a thin Dr. Seuss book and cracked it open, frustrated at seeing no more than five words to a page. He read much longer books with his dad, and much less boring. Nevertheless, he hid his face and glowing eyes behind the colorful pictures and words, hoping he could read his way through the rest of the day until his mom picked him up.

By the time school ended he had read nearly every book in the classroom, fallen asleep while the other kids struggled to count past twenty, been teased for the ghost-shaped PB&J his mom packed, been kicked off the swings by some big blond kid, and cried silently through nap time.

* * *

The car was silent as they drove to Vlad's manor. Danny kept glancing from the road to Dan, wary about trying to start conversation again with the moody five year old. He'd hoped the boy's first day of school wouldn't be as bad as his gut had told him it would be, but it obviously _had_ been.

The man couldn't help but feel a bit guilty, knowing his son had had such a bad day. Should he perhaps have kept him home like the boy had wanted? Maybe this _was_ too much. After all, Danny knew better than anyone that Dan might not get along with human children. He wanted his son to get in touch with that side of him, though. The first five years of Dan's life had been spent nurturing his ghost side, interacting with too many specters for Danny's liking, and otherwise spending more time than not in his ghost form or working on his powers.

Was he doing this whole "parenting" thing wrong? Dan would be turning six in a month and already he seemed to have an angry streak in him, sometimes leaning towards violent. Danny tried his best to protect him and teach him to do good, but he worried that Dan was still inclined towards the wrong things. Vlad and him constantly fought and argued over nearly everything when it came to raising their son, particularly Vlad's emphasis on Dan's ghost powers and willingness to let his ghost minions be around the boy. And unfortunately for Danny, he never won these arguments; neither of them did, since they somehow always seemed to end with Vlad flirting with him and Danny giving painful retaliation before stomping off.

Danny's thoughts wandered over to the fuming half-ghost child again, and he decided to brave another attempt at conversation. "So... are you gonna tell me how school was yet?"

A long time passed where it didn't seem as if Dan would respond, which didn't surprise him, but then the angry child mumbled, "It was stupid."

Danny frowned but didn't say anything, deciding it was best to keep him talking instead. "Why?"

"Because the kids are weird!" Dan finally broke. "I don't understand why I can't use my powers at school, Mom!"

"I know you know why, Dan. You know people might not be very nice to us if they knew about us."

"But that doesn't make any sense!" the child cried. "Our powers make us better than them! We can do so much more stuff and -"

"They do _not_ make us better, Dan," Danny snapped. "Nobody's better than anyone here, now I don't want to hear you talking like that again, okay?"

Dan scowled at the dashboard, kicking at it twice before his mother shot him a look. "I wish I could live with Dad forever. He wouldn't make me go to stupid school."

Danny didn't reply, simply staring at the road ahead as they neared Vlad's house. Dan kicked the dashboard again.

They arrived and Dan slammed the car door with more force than necessary, making Danny wince. As they made their way up the long pathway to the billionaire's front door, Danny turned to the angry child. "Dan, I'll be picking you up next Sunday. If you have any bad dreams, you can call me or tell Vlad to call me, alright? It's okay to wake me up, I'll be right over if you need me," he said as he rang the doorbell.

Dan's anger evaporated, a worried look appearing on his face instead. He hadn't thought about spending the night away from his mother, only about the fun he'd have at his dad's house. He'd been having very bad nightmares lately; he had a lot of nasty dreams in general, but some weeks were much worse than others. Perhaps staying with his father right now wasn't the best idea.

Usually, he'd sleep in his mother's bed, comforted by his presence when he'd wake up from his terrible dreams. He didn't know what most of the things in his dreams were, but he was sure that they weren't things he should be seeing - that _anyone_ should be seeing. He saw horrible things when he slept, and they were as vivid as any memory. But Dan was certainly sure that he'd never seen such destruction in his short life. He'd see people dying horrible deaths, ghosts crying out for mercy, buildings burning, until he'd wake up sobbing and yelling for his mother.

His mother was always there ready to tell him that none of it was real. But Dan felt like it _was_ real! It all looked so real to him! Especially when he'd have some of his stranger dreams, where he wouldn't see terrible things, but he'd _feel_ them. He'd feel despair and anguish and loss; being five years old and fairly sheltered, he couldn't identify what any of these feelings were, much less where they came from.

Dan was afraid of the nighttime, and he never wanted to sleep, only coaxed into it by his mother's presence during bedtime. His mother was afraid too, though. He could see it in the way his mom looked at him whenever he'd frantically retell his dreams through frightened tears. Despite his mother's reassurances, he was never completely made to feel less scared, because his mother's eyes always told him that he _should_ be. So he was.

So what exactly was Dan supposed to do without his mother to keep him company at night? It wasn't fair to always have to be moving between his mother and father like this! It was stupid and it didn't make any sense to him! He knew his mom hated his dad, but why couldn't he just get over it when his dad had such a nice house and loved his mother so much? He'd even heard his grandparents and his Aunt Jazz mention moving in, so why didn't he and his mom just do it already? Besides, it wasn't like his mom didn't secretly like his dad back, anyways.

_And they call **me** stubborn_, he thought to himself as he glanced resentfully at his mother.

"Mom? Why don't you just live with Dad? Because then you could sleep with me and I wouldn't have to always be in two places and I could go to school at home 'cause Dad would say so," Dan complained sullenly, remembering school and becoming moody again.

Danny frowned and was about to reply when Vlad opened the door, beaming at the company on his doorstep. His smile fell, though, when he noticed Dan looking rather bad-tempered as he looked down at the ground. He gave Danny a questioning glance and the raven-haired man shrugged. "He had a bad first day," he explained. Vlad's frown deepened.

"Well, son? Aren't you going to greet your father?"

The boy looked up from where he was glaring at the ground, his lips twitching in a smile as he ran forwards to hug his dad. Vlad beamed, ruffling his son's hair before he noticed how cold the young half-ghost felt - especially when it was just about ninety degrees outside. "Are you getting sick again, _lapushka_(1)?"

"Yeah," the child replied, not bothered at the moment about getting sick. It was common for him to be stuck with some sort of ghost virus, anyways. It didn't make it pleasant, but it wasn't a rare occurrence. Vlad's eyes snapped up to Danny.

"You know," the white-haired man began, "it would be a lot healthier for the boy if you two moved out of that dreadful apartment and in with me, Daniel."

Danny caught a wide smile making its way onto his son's face for the first time that day. The man's eyes briefly flashed green, making Vlad retaliate with a cocky, flirtatious grin and a flash of pink eyes. Danny grit his teeth when he felt his own eyes change to red and his cheeks grow hot. "Dan, why don't you go inside? I'm sure your violin teacher will be here soon, so why don't you set up?" he said, trying to keep a level voice despite the horribly irritating look the other hybrid was giving him.

Dan jumped away from his father and into the house, going ghost as soon as he was past the door frame. "DAN! Wait until you're out of sight of the street!"

Vlad rolled his eyes. "Oh, relax, Daniel. Nobody saw him," he retorted. "And your lessons aren't until five, son!" he called over his shoulder at the boy now zooming across the living room to the right of the entrance while looking for his instrument.

The two parents sighed before turning to look at each other again. "I was actually meaning to ask you..." Vlad began. "Do you remember the, ah, Skeleton Key, by chance?"

Danny eyed him suspiciously. "Why?"

"Because it seems to have gone missing, and I had to fight a murderous beast of a ghost to get that valuable artifact!"

Danny shrugged.

"Daniel, I don't think you understand the implications if that key were to fall into the wrong hands -"

"Like yours?"

"Stop it! Just tell me if you've heard something or not!"

"Oh, enough with your damn key, of course I haven't heard anything!" Danny snapped, continuing in a hushed voice, "What's important right now is your son. He's being really difficult today, so I suggest you don't tease him. But... if you could get something out of him about his first day of school, I think it'd be good for him. He doesn't really talk about his feelings; you know that."

Vlad smirked. "Oh? Are you asking because you know he likes me better than you so he'll be more willing to talk to me?"

The hybrid glared. "He says he likes you better because you spoil him beyond belief. It isn't good for him, Vlad! Especially when you're filling his head with all this half-ghost superiority trash!"

At this, Vlad bristled indignantly. "I have done no such thing! I've only been training him so he'll learn to control his powers and use them responsibly!"

"_Responsibly_? Stealing candy and ectoblasting the neighbor's dog is using his powers _responsibly_? It's your fault in the first place for letting him hang around with Skulker and all your other lackeys!"

"Oh, it's not like they've ever hurt him! It's good for him to get along with the more hostile ghosts, unlike _somebody_ who could've done a bit better in that department. I'm protecting him just as much as you are by acquainting him with these ghosts!"

"Vlad, they're terrible influences!"

Vlad scoffed. "Please, Daniel, they're not any worse an influence than your idiot father who you foolishly trust to watch over our son."

"YOU SON OF A -"

Dan's laugh coming from inside the house made the sentence die out on his tongue. The two half-ghosts looked at each other, immediately deflating, their eyes returning to their varying shades of blue. They both stood there in embarrassed silence for a while.

"I'll talk to him later," Vlad said stiffly. Then, his demeanor quickly changed to a suggestive look. "In the meantime, why don't you stay a while, little badger? I certainly don't mind, and I'm sure Dan won't, either."

Danny resisted the urge to blast the other man, not too keen on getting into yet another argument. "Nice try, Vlad. But even if I wanted to - which I don't - me and Sam agreed to go over to Tucker's today. We're having dinner with him and Aria." He cringed, thinking about having to spend an afternoon listening to Paulina's ditzy cousin from California. To think his best friend couldn't pick a better girl to get engaged to.

Vlad nodded. After a pause, he came closer and placed a hand on Danny's shoulder, tilting his chin up with the other and staring into the younger man's blue eyes while the younger man tensed. "Daniel... I really wish you'd consider living here. It's not just for me, but it would truly be best for Dan. You know it's not good for him to be away from both parents for long, and this living arrangement's so complicated..."

Danny felt a pang of guilt at Vlad's words but he refused to show it, knowing it would only encourage the man regardless of what he claimed his reasons for offering to be. He moved his head out of the other hybrid's grip and backed away. "I already lived with you for over a year, Vlad. Shouldn't your perverted ego be satisfied with that?" Before Vlad could interrupt, he held a finger to quiet him and shrugged the hand off his shoulder. "I don't want to hear it. I'll pick Dan up next Sunday, okay?"

Vlad looked dejectedly at him for a second before he said, "Fine, Daniel."

"And Vlad?" The man frowned at Danny's suddenly somber tone. Vlad leaned in as Danny said in a hushed whisper, "Dan's nightmares have been really bad lately. Just make sure he's got some sort of nightlight in the room. Or if you can, just let him sleep in your bed."

The billionaire nodded, noting Danny's frightened look as he turned away and climbed into his car.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the living room, Dan was occupying himself with flying around in glee and making tiny balls of ectoplasm which he'd pass from one black-gloved hand to the other. As soon as he was old enough to learn the process, Vlad had taught him to make his own permanent outfit in ghost form. He wore a spandex suit with black bottoms, a white belt, white boots and black gloves. The top part was styled in both black and white, though logoless. The thing Dan was most proud of, however, was his cape. White on the outside and black on the inside, with frayed edges, it was even cooler-looking than his dad's! His mother hadn't liked the outfit for some reason and tried to convince him to tweak it a bit, but his father had been delighted.

Dan could hear his parents yelling outside but paid them no mind, instead flying over to a small violin propped up ornately on a stand against the wall. He grabbed the bow gingerly with his spectral tail and laughed as he felt the hair on the bow tickle his tail slightly. Underneath him, a white cat made a move to grab at his spectral tail. "Go away, Maddie!" he told the animal, scowling slightly as he clutched the bow and his tail protectively to his chest.

Remembering he'd left the rosin to make the bow hair sticky in his room last time he came to his dad's house, he dropped the bow and made to phase through the ceiling. However, at that moment a red mist left his mouth, accompanied by a loud snapping sound behind him. Dan turned around only to see Phoebe with his violin held carelessly in one hand. Dan's jaw dropped when he saw a broken string dangling from the violin. Suddenly, he saw red, and quicker than she could blink he flew up to her glaring daggers.

"YOU!"

The ghost girl dropped the violin, Dan's face contorting into further rage as the instrument clattered loudly to the floor. She smiled widely at Dan as if he wasn't giving her a deadly look. "Dan! I found the coolest thing in-"

"THAT'S MY VIOLIN!"

"I know!" she said, seemingly oblivious to the half-ghost's ire. "I just wanted to look -"

"How did you get in my dad's house, Phoebe?" he asked her with more bite in his voice than a five year old should have. "How do you even get past the ghost shield all the time?" he demanded, confusion now lacing his anger.

"But, Dan, there's this box with a cool key in it -"

"You always do this! My dad has the ghost shield to keep dumb ghosts like _you_ out!" he interrupted, picking up the violin and inspecting the damage. He pouted and dropped the instrument to the floor dejectedly. As he floated there with his arms crossed and wondering what the best way to make the other child pay would be, he was tackled by the ghost in question. Phoebe wrapped her chubby arms tightly around his lanky frame and squeezed him in a crushing hug, ignoring his frantic squirming. "GROSS! Get off, get off, get off!"

"I'm so happy you're staying with Plasmius for two weeks, Dan! We're gonna have lots of fun!"

He tried unsuccessfully to phase out of her grasp but she countered the move with her own intangibility. How could one dumb ghost girl be so _strong_? Stronger than him, even? Or maybe it was just her determination to never let go and apparently cut off his air supply? "You're not even supposed to be here! I'll tell on you and my daddy's gonna lock the portal, you'll see!" he yelled, clawing wildly at her arms though it did nothing as the chubby ghost seemed to tighten her grip on him. "How do you even know I'm staying here for two weeks?" he gasped out.

"I know everything about you, silly! We're best friends!"

"I told you I'm not your friend! I hate you, Phoebe! Now - let - me - GO!" Dan screamed, finally fed up, and with one last angry growl he aimed a green ectoblast square at her face.

Phoebe screamed and immediately released him. She flew, panicked, from side to side as she held her burning face. After the pain subsided, she felt around the injured area and noticed her pigtails were singed. Immediately, tears built up in her eyes. Dan didn't seem remorseful, however, and instead aimed again with two glowing green fists. "Go away, Phoebe! Or I'll blast you again!"

The girl screamed again and flew off as fast as she could as the half-ghost came at her with every intent to give her a painful return to the Ghost Zone. The two flew through the empty hallways, Dan shooting ectoblasts at her and successfully ruining several walls and paintings, while Phoebe scattered several food articles through the hallway as she summoned them to shield herself from his attacks.

Right as Phoebe turned the corner with Dan hot on her tail, she happened to crash into the owner of the manor. Vlad caught her just as Dan came to a painful stop on the Persian rug when he failed to brake his flight in time. Vlad's stared angrily at the two of them. "What in blazes is going on here?"

The two quickly jumped into their own explanations.

"Dan blasted me!"

"Phoebe invaded my personal space and she _broke my A-string_!"

Vlad gave the two rambling ghost children a weary look as they continued talking over each other. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Phoebe, where are your parents?" he cut them off.

"On a date," she answered, still teary-eyed from Dan's abuse.

Vlad raised an eyebrow. "A date?"

"At Casper High. It's lunch right now."

"Of course they are," Vlad deadpanned. "Now, would you kindly run along? The ghost shield is there for a _reason_, girl."

"That's what I told her!" Dan exclaimed, glaring at her.

Phoebe glared right back. "YOU _WILL_ LOVE ME, DAN! YOU WILL LOVE ME!" the six year old screamed hysterically at him just before Vlad gave her a "gentle" shove which sent her flying completely off the mansion property.

Vlad shook his head as he closed the door. "I fear for you sometimes, son." _And not because of some defunct alternate future, either._

Dan twiddled his thumbs nervously. "Hey, Dad? You won't tell Mom I blasted Phoebe again... right?" he asked with a charming smile.

Vlad smirked. "I have no idea what you're talking about, _lapushka_. Run along, now. Lunch will be ready soon."

Dan grinned before hugging his father around the neck and flying off with a gleeful laugh.

* * *

"You're doggone crazy, Walker," Bullet said, staring at his superior with a disturbed look on his face. Walker grinned rather maniacally at that.

"No brilliant mind was ever sane, Bullet. Didn't anyone ever tell you that?" the warden replied in a chipper voice.

Bullet simply shook his head hopelessly. "That thing's dangerous. Do you know what that stupid map could get you into? And if you're dragged into something, _I'm_ dragged into something. Of all the things you've come up with, Walker..."

Walker chuckled, observing the purple and green projections of doors floating over his desk. While he eyed them hungrily, Bullet's eyes roamed over them warily. Under the doors, the Infi-Map sat innocently on the surface of Walker's desk.

"Relax, Bullet. I ain't touching the thing, and I'm not an idiot. I know what not to say around the damn thing."

"You know those ice beasts won't be clueless for long."

Walker snorted. "Yeah, right. Those ghosts up in the Far Frozen couldn't find anything if it were tied to their leader's head. They just let those two half-ghosts run around with it, revealing it actually exists, after all. They're obviously too careless to find this again."

"Alright," Bullet conceded sarcastically. "Now that you've got your precious Key to Everything, what exactly is this brilliant plan of yours?"

"Oh, don't be stupid, Bullet. All ghosts know what this thing does. With the Infi-Map, we can open portals to anywhere, any _time_ -"

"Yeah, if there happens to be a portal actually _open_ to the time you want. The chances of that are practically -"

"It can also take you to any ghost or human you're looking for -"

"Unless it doesn't actually have a _form_, Walker. It'd have to be right in front of the map for it to find half a mauled ghost."

Walker slammed his fist down on the desk, making the door projections shake violently before they swooned lazily in the air again."Would you let me finish a damn sentence, already?" The other ghost silenced immediately, averting his gaze from his superior. The warden relaxed in his chair again and grinned. "As I was saying... I _had_ planned on using it to get to the Crown of Fire, but according to the guards there's a pretty destructive ghost shield around most of Plasmius' treasures _besides_ the regular ghost shield around his place, so it's useless for that."

"So you've basically risked the integrity of your prison, your job, and your afterlife when the ghosts of the Far Frozen and the Observants find out what you're up to... for a chunk of spectral energy that's completely useless to you."

That plotting grin was really beginning to get on Bullet's nerves. "Hah! The Observants. Nothin' but a joke! Do you wanna know what they've been like since Phantom's spawn was born? They fight over that kid _every single trial_. Even when it has _nothing_ to do with Phantom or his spawn." Bullet raised an eyebrow, finally looking genuinely interested. "They've been so riled up and on-edge, they just keep fighting each other. They ain't looking at the timeline right now! At least not at anything that doesn't have to do with half-ghosts. Actually," he leaned in over the desk, his face taking on an eerie glow from the light of the Infi-Map, "they're all set on doing away with half-ghosts entirely if they so much as make a single wrong move. Especially the kid. From what I can tell, they're really after _his_ head. Now, I haven't actually seen the brat - nobody but Plasmius' most loyal dogs have, since Phantom seems pretty keen on keeping him on a tight leash - but I'm sure it won't be long before all three of those abominations show up on death row."

Bullet grinned. "So that's where all your confidence is coming from. And here I just thought you had a screw loose."

Walker leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up on his desk, careful not to disturb the map there. "You know I ain't no Observant. But I told you I'd find a way to keep an eye on things, didn't I? Just be happy it wasn't _you_ I sent in to get wasted getting this," he told him, gesturing to the Infi-Map with his boot.

"I admire your confidence, Walker, but in 'keeping an eye on things,' it could take _years_ for a portal that you can use to appear. By that time, the Observants might've gotten their heads together, you know."

"Oh, all it'll take is a little bit of patience, Bullet," the warden drawled as he observed the doors still levitating over his desk. "Just a little patience."

* * *

**End Notes:** Dan's a smart kid, but pretty immature when it comes down to it. I had some trouble thinking up what he'd be like. I guess it's a lot like creating your own original character, in a way, only I've had to draw specifically from already existing characters, taking traits from each one (Dark Dan Phantom, Danny, and Vlad).

And here we see Walker and Bullet again! It's been a while, but we'll definitely start seeing them more and more until... well, you'll see, hehe.

(1) _Lapushka_ (Лапушка) is Russian for "little paw" and a term of endearment for children. Well, I thought it was cute, lol.


	7. Born from Unlucky Stars

**Notes:** The bit with Vlad and Danny in this chapter was completely unplanned (you'll see what I mean). I guess I like the pairing too much to focus completely on little Dan, haha. Which is really kind of ironic since (storytime!) I used to be pretty disgusted by the pairing. You know, the whole age gap and pedophilia bit and all. Then I came across Nimrod the Writer's stories. Needless to say... they were hot and ridiculously interesting. So shout out to my reader who first converted me! :D

* * *

**Chapter Six - Born from Unlucky Stars**

Danny decided he hated everyone; he hated his family, his friends, and _especially_ Vlad.

This was because, after years of ignoring Dan's insistence, his sister's psychoanalysis, and everyone else's suggestions and threats, he had finally caved into moving in with Vlad. It had all gone downhill when Dan started school, and everybody had ganged up on him after the child decided he needed to take manners into somebody else's hands besides his mother's.

It hadn't started off quite so badly when he was first cornered into a conversation about Vlad, surprisingly enough, by Tucker. He had been very unconvincing, but more pushy than normal on the matter. though the computer expert had focused less on Dan and more on the perks of the two of them living with a billionaire.

_"I mean, you're a single parent and a sixth grade teacher. That doesn't exactly scream 'stability,' man. And I mean economically - you don't really live in the nicest apartment complex... Besides, Vlad bought out the place I work at, and I could __**really**__ use some brownie points, dude."_

_"Just shut up, Tucker."_

Needless to say, Danny hadn't taken him seriously and had been quick to voice the fact. However, the very next day, he started realizing that there had been a change in tactic from mere passing mentions to official Convince Danny Sessions.

Jazz had invited him over specifically to talk about Vlad. She'd gone on for _hours_ about the psychological development of a child in a hostile family situation. Danny had attempted to argue that it was much less hostile with him and Vlad kept apart, but she wouldn't have it. By the end of the conversation, Danny had been ready to bash his head in, a sick feeling in his stomach from the guilt he felt at hearing all the points Jazz brought up, mostly about how Dan's hostility and psychological development could be linked more to his current situation than Danny's speculation on the alternate future part of him.

_"Dan needs a little normalcy. He's half-ghost, he's had so much trouble making friends, he always has to lie about his parentage, and his mother is a man. He already lacks an example of a loving relationship in his life... all of these things could be detrimental to his psychological development, Danny. You've obviously got little confidence in your abilities as a parent, which is the polar opposite of Vlad. You could really be hurting him, and you know what kind of coping methods __**you**__ used when you were hurting in that other timeline. What Dan needs is stability."_

_"What are you talking about, Jazz? I'm stable!" he screamed, pitch slightly hysterical after an hour of talking about what a horrible parent he was and what a wonderful thing it would be to move in with Vlad._

_Jazz raised an eyebrow. "Of course you are," she deadpanned before continuing her rant on child development._

Danny was sick of being constantly reminded of the elephant in the room that was the alternate timeline. Add to the mix everyone trying to push him to actually live in the same place as his arch-enemy, and he was a downright bundle of nerves. It didn't stop there, however, as it seemed even Sam's jealous tendencies and hate for Vlad weren't enough to overcome her sudden need to lecture him about Dan as everyone else had. It made Danny regret ever making Sam his semi-regular babysitter. In reality, it was less Sam lecturing and more Sam demanding that he move in with Vlad.

_Danny sat wide-eyed at Sam's kitchen table, shocked at how forcefully she had just gone and told him he was moving in with his arch-enemy as soon as possible. "Oh my God, not you too! Why the hell do you want me to do that? You __**hate**__ Vlad!"_

_Sam regarded him with a sheepish smile before taking a sip of her coffee and continuing in a less demanding tone, "I may hate the arrogant, perverted, psychopathic, egotistical guy almost as much as you do, but I've grown pretty of fond Dan. For a little mini-me of your alternate future self, he's a pretty cool kid."_

_Danny grimaced at the mention of the alternate timeline. Looking apologetic, Sam said, "Sorry. I was just trying to lighten things up... But really, Danny, it's not good for him. I mean, you want him to grow up happy, right? You want him to be healthy? Well, he's not getting either of those things with this whole 'traumatic divorce' set-up. He's always moody, always complaining about either you or Vlad because he doesn't know what it's like to have both parents around. He's always getting sick because he doesn't have the both of you around enough for your little ghost energy deal. Besides, if you're with Vlad, you can keep an eye on who he lets Dan hang out with and what he lets the kid do. Aren't you always worried that he's hanging out with Skulker and the Fright Knight when you're not there? So seriously, stop being so stubborn and just move in with him already! It's not like he'll say no!"_

After that, the night of Dan's sixth birthday party at Fenton Works had been the breaking point for Danny, starting with his dad's less-than-subtle suggestions after Dan had gone home with his father.

_"I don't understand why you don't get along with Vlad, son. He's a great guy!"_

_Danny bit his tongue to keep in any less-than-polite retorts. "Mm," he said noncommittally._

_"He wants you to move in with him, and maybe you should take him up on the offer. Your mom and I just want what's best for you and your little boy, Danny. We'd like to see you out of that dingy apartment, that's all, and V-man's the perfect person to move in with. He's Dan's dad, after all!"_

_"Mmngh."_

_"Besides," his dad said, tweaking the invention in front of him a bit, "Vladdie's single, and he doesn't look a day over forty!"_

_Danny raised an eyebrow at the non sequitur. "He doesn't look a day over forty because he stopped aging in his forties, Dad. We've gone over this, ghosts don't age past their twenties. But - wait, that has __**nothing**__to do with this."_

_"Of course it does, son! I'm just saying your mother and I will support you no matter what. I've known Vladdie for a long time, and he's a good guy. Heck, he's practically my son-in-law already, with Dan and all. After this whole 'ghost mates' thing, it only makes sense that the two of you end up together!"_

_Danny thought he felt his eyes pop out of his head. "WHAT?"_

And lastly, the straw that broke the camel's back, was his conversation with Maddie which succeeded in making him feel like a rotten parent and got him to make that humiliating phone call to Vlad after a mere thirty minutes of thinking. Apparently, his mother's insistence had stemmed from his son literally crying to his grandmother to convince her that Danny and Dan should move in with Vlad.

Danny knew how his son worked, for the most part, and he was sure that none of the things Dan had told Maddie were true. Danny knew for a fact that Dan didn't truly blame himself for his and Vlad's fights (for God's sake, he _laughed_ when he'd manage to catch Danny blasting Vlad!); sure, the child didn't like it, but he always seemed moody over their arguments, never sad or guilty. He knew that Dan had never hinted at Vlad and him getting together or falling in love out of his own volition - that is to say, never without some bribe on Vlad's part. And Danny _definitely_ knew that there wasn't a scary lady who gave Dan the evil eye living next door to them, or an alcoholic wife beater across the hall (how did Dan even know what an alcoholic or a wife beater were? He was six!). So when Maddie had brought up all these points from her conversation with her grandson, Danny had been unable to do anything but stare at her with wide eyes.

_"MOM! None of that is true! That... that little..."_

_"Danny, he's six years old! He obviously wants to see his parents getting along and he obviously knows that where you live isn't a healthy place. Why would he lie about something like that?"_

_"That's exactly it! He's six years old and he can lie about this kind of stuff! Mom, that's just manipulative! And who else do we know who's a manipulative bastard?"_

_"Danny, don't talk about Vlad like that."_

_"Oh, so now you're defending him? You've never even done that before, Mom!"_

_"Daniel Jack Fenton, you listen to me. Now, I know Vlad's pretty rough around the edges, but he's cleaned up quite nicely since Dan and you know it. He loves that child to death, and even though it's strange for me and your father, he loves you to death, too. I mean, after the whole thing with the eggnog and the mistletoe two Christmases ago -"_

_"Oh, God, you are __**not**__ bringing that up!"_

_"And why not? Because it seems to me that it's you who's the problem here, Danny. Vlad would love for you to move in with him. Dan __**needs**__ you to move in with him. I agreed that you and Vlad should do this arrangement at first, but now I'm not sure it's what's best for Dan. You're twenty-four and already have a son. Vlad's fifty-one, and there's a certain maturity required when you raise a child which he can contribute to your relationship -"_

_"There **is** no relationship, Mom!"_

_She ignored his outburst except for a quick disapproving look. "It's always much better when you have that support. Add the fact that you're raising a very special half-ghost child, which Vlad has much more knowledge and experience about. He knows more about how half-ghosts work than anyone. That's something not even me or your father can honestly say we can help with."_

_Danny remained silent. He didn't want to admit that he'd thought over all that she'd just said countless times, and he most certainly didn't want to admit that she was making him question his integrity as a parent._

_"Danny, I just want a better reason for why you're so dead-set against this."_

_Danny opened his mouth to reply but nothing came out. He sighed and sat down in a chair, shaking his head. He couldn't tell his mother the reasons, after all. He didn't want her nor his father to know the truth about Dan's possible origins. Or maybe he just didn't want to talk about it all again. Maybe all he was was a bad mother..._

_"Honey, I know you're young, but you have to start thinking about Dan. __**He's**__ supposed to be your life, now, so make the effort! Your father and I would sacrifice everything to make sure you and Jazz are happy. Honestly, I'm surprised you can be this selfish, Danny. We raised you better than this."_

Danny never thought he was being selfish. He thought he was being the very opposite, in fact. However, he now doubted himself as a parent in every way. Was he truly raising Dan wrong? Was everything he did to make sure Dan was a good person in vain? No... no, he couldn't let himself think like that, because that would mean that everything really _was_ inevitable. And he would _never_ allow that to happen to his son. He'd promised he wouldn't.

All he wanted was to protect his son from anything and anyone that might corrupt him and, in all honesty, he didn't trust Vlad in the least. But wasn't he justified in not trusting him? The man had done terrible things to him, his family, and his friends, after all.

Top it off with the fact that over the years, he'd grown immensely insistent on fully having Danny as his mate without using the restraint he always possessed when trying to woo his mother. And maybe Danny wouldn't have been so opposed to the idea of moving into the manor to make Dan happy if he wasn't so sure he'd be molested at every possible turn. After all, previous experience had taught him that when Vlad was in love (the thought really did creep him out), the man would never stop until he got what he wanted. Did that make him selfish? Even when he'd begrudgingly informed Vlad that, yes, he'd move in with him, Vlad had reasoned that if Danny couldn't resist everyone's insistence in moving into the manor then there was no hope for Danny resisting his mating instincts. In response, Danny had blasted him in the stomach.

And so Danny and Dan found themselves inside of Vlad's entrance hall, the billionaire sporting a smug, wolfish grin and Danny red in the face from trying to keep his temper his check.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 'ALL THE GUEST ROOMS ARE FLOODED?'"

Needless to say, move-in day was not starting off on a good note for Danny, and it was all Vlad's fault.

"Sorry, Daniel, but as I said, all the bedrooms except for Dan's and my own are under serious repairs right now."

"What a perfectly well-planned coincidence," Danny said through clenched teeth, ignoring the strange feeling of deja vu. "You know what? I don't care, I'll sleep on the soggy carpet if I have to, but I am _not_ sleeping in your room."

"But, Mom, where are you gonna sleep, then?" Dan asked from where he floated next to his father.

Danny glanced at him before looking back at Vlad. "I'll stay in Dan's room until the repairs are done."

"No."

Danny blinked when he realized that his pouting son had been the one to utter the word. "What?"

"I said no. I'm not gonna share my room."

Danny's jaw dropped and Vlad looked like Christmas had come early. "You heard the boy, Daniel!"

Danny resisted the urge to blast Vlad in front of his son. "Dan, why don't you want Mommy to stay in your room? It'll only be for a little while," he said in the gentlest voice he could muster.

"No. My room is mine, and I don't wanna share it. Most moms and dads sleep in the same room, anyways."

At that point, Danny looked like he wanted to curl up in a corner. Vlad slung an arm around his shoulders and pulled him in way too close for comfort, a triumphant smirk on his face. "Excellent! Let's bring your things inside, shall we, dear?"

Danny could've sworn he heard his brain snap from the sheer hate the world seemed to have for him. "D-Dan? Why don't you go play with the cat?"

"But I don't like Maddie -"

"Go play with the cat, Dan!" he snapped.

Dan scowled and flew through the ceiling in a huff. A second later, the two other hybrids heard something shatter, and Vlad winced at what must surely have been yet another vase. Danny shoved Vlad away from him. "What the hell is your problem, Vlad?"

The older half-ghost looked back at him with mock innocence. "Whatever do you mean, Daniel?"

"I _mean_ that you were the one who agreed to keep your hands off me when I said we'd move in with you!"

Vlad sighed dramatically. "Oh, Daniel, it would be so much easier to give in to those instincts that are already inside you, you know. We _are_ soulmates, whether you want to admit it or not."

"You're sick! Why won't you get it through your thick head that I don't want you touching me?"

"That's not what you were saying the last time you stayed here, little badger."

"If you want to bring up the ghost pox, I can go ahead and hurt you, Vlad. And you know I don't need my powers to do that."

Vlad froze for a second but managed to cover up his emotions with practiced ease, chuckling in that malevolent, patronizing way Danny hated. The raven-haired man clenched his fists, and with a roar of rage stomped off towards the front door to retrieve his belongings before the billionaire could utter another word. Just as he pulled the door open, however, he felt the older man hug him from behind and the intoxicatingly strong smell of spearmint, incense, and the ocean went straight to his head. He shuddered, squeezing his eyes shut when he felt them glow red. "V-Vlad, I'm going to kill you!" he gasped out.

Vlad brushed his lips against Danny's ear, making the younger man shudder once again. "Getting harder to fight it, isn't it, Daniel?" he whispered sultrily, his hot breath making shivers run down Danny's spine. Vlad felt it, and Danny could feel the man's lips pull into a smirk against his ear.

Danny clenched his teeth, squirming slightly in Vlad's arms but not putting up much of a fight as he tried to concentrate on controlling the sensations he felt surfacing within him. He could feel his ghost half stirring with the pleasure Vlad's presence and obvious demonstration invoked, but he pushed it to the back of his mind like he usually did. "G-get off me, I don't -"

"WHOA! Uh, sorry! Wrong room!"

Danny jumped, the ghostly spell he was under disappearing as Vlad turned off his mating charms. To Danny's horror, however, Vlad took his sweet time unwrapping his arms from around his torso. The younger man's face was a deep red, and he clumsily backed away from the older man, avoiding the gaze of Tucker's fiancée who'd barged into the house.

"Aria! I told you not to barge in! Just 'cause the door is open doesn't mean - Oh, hey, dude... Vlad," Tucker said, studying Danny's flushed face and Vlad's smug smile.

"This isn't what it looks like, Aria!" Danny hurriedly tried to excuse himself, ignoring his friend's greeting.

Tucker blinked. "What did it look like?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at his half-ghost friend.

Danny stuttered for a while before Vlad eventually had the decency to change the subject. "You're Daniel's friends, yes? I must agree that I don't appreciate people walking into my home like this."

Tucker eyed Danny quizzically before answering. "We just came to see if Danny was moved in yet. Do you... need any help, man?"

"Yes! That'd be good! Come on, let's go outside. Vlad has to go ask Dan something anyways, right, Vlad?" he said very quickly, his voice taking on a rather high pitch from his anxiety. He literally pushed past Tucker and Aria to speed-walk towards his car.

Tucker looked confused for a second longer, but in the end simply grabbed Aria's hand and followed after the hybrid. He was used to his friend's strangeness, especially when it came to Vlad. He decided it was best not to question the situation just yet.

As they followed after him, Danny swore he heard Tucker's fiancée whisper behind him, "Tuckie, you never told me they were gay!"

* * *

That night, after Danny and Tucker had put all of Danny and Dan's belongings into a large closet downstairs (and later had them mysteriously end up neatly organized in Vlad's bedroom and study), the rest of the Fentons had decided drop by for dinner at the manor - much to Vlad's chagrin, since he'd planned on spending the evening with his son and would-be mate.

The three half-ghosts, Maddie, Jack, and Jazz were relaxing in one of the manor's living rooms after dinner. The two women and Vlad were talking among themselves, and Jack was fiddling with a Fenton Thermos he was trying to modify to read ecto-signatures. Dan was playing with a small ball of ectoplasm while Danny watched him, sulking from his unfortunate day and feeling resentful towards his family who'd forced him into this arrangement.

Despite his sullen mood, Danny couldn't help but smile as he watched his son chase around the pink glowing ball (courtesy of Vlad), his ghostly tail zooming behind him as he threw the ball across the room and expertly managed to fly to its landing point to catch it just in time. The boy's scarlet eyes sparkled with joy at his playtime. The child truly did love being in his ghost form, Danny realized. The man frowned as he heard his mother, sister, and Vlad laughing on the couch a few feet away.

This whole "family time" thing was truly odd, and he didn't buy that Vlad was sincere about it for one second, especially when he still managed to catch the older hybrid's heated glares every now and then in Jack's direction. Danny wasn't sure just why the man had chosen to maintain such a façade thus far. After so many years, though, Danny supposed that a person stopped questioning their arch-enemy's motives when they were raising a child together, particularly when those motives could most likely be summed up as said arch-nemesis having wooing you as their top priority.

...Oh, how Danny wished he had a normal life.

The raven-haired man sighed, instead turning his attention back to his son. The boy zigzagged towards the pink ball as it zoomed towards the couch where Jack was.

"Alright, let's see what this wire does," the hybrid heard Jack mutter to himself as he prodded the Fenton Thermos.

Danny realized what was going to happen a second too late.

A blue-white light headed straight for the little half-ghost, and the last thing Danny saw was a wide-eyed Dan as he was sucked inside the containment device. Danny thought his slow-beating heart stopped at that moment.

Not a second later Danny heard the screaming inside the thermos much louder than it must've actually been, saw the shaking of the device seem much more violent than it actually was. He could feel all the color slowly drain from his face.

"Oh, geez! Hold on there, little ghost, I'll get you out!"

Vlad's look was a murderous one if he ever saw one, looking seconds away from blasting a hole through Jack right then and there.

"NO! DAN!" Danny shouted, pushing Jack and an approaching Vlad out of the way. He felt his eyes glowing red, but it didn't matter as an overwhelming, constricting sensation overtook him, feeling his son's desperation and fear as he fumbled to find the release button on the wretched device with Vlad's hand painfully gripping his shoulder. Unfortunately, the silver claws which had involuntarily sprung out of his hands made the task impossible. He swore under his breath, feeling like he would cry as the feelings inside him escalated along with the screaming inside the thermos, and he was somewhat relieved when Vlad took the object out of his hands and quickly pressed the release button. The same light shot out of the thermos again, revealing the six year old in a state of wide-eyed terror.

The child was hugging himself and shaking like a leaf, practically hyperventilating from the claustrophobia-induced panic. Both Danny and Vlad knew that Dan often had nightmares about being trapped in the thermos from his vivid descriptions, though the child had never identified what it was he was trapped in and they obviously hadn't enlightened him. Now, however, it looked like he was sure of what his nightmares' common trap was - and that it had brought on some very unpleasant emotions.

Feeling almost as anxious as his son, Danny ran towards Dan and knelt down in front of him, ready to comfort the terrified boy. He never expected what came next, though, as the second Dan saw his mother approaching, something seemed to flash in his eyes. He screamed bloody murder and stumbled backwards.

"YOU PUT ME IN THERE!" the child yelled, flying clumsily towards a startled Vlad and squeezing himself into a tight ball in his arms. "YOU PUT ME IN THERE! YOU PUT ME IN THERE!" he yelled over and over again, crying like he never did outside of his dreams.

Danny's chest was tight with emotion as he looked on in shock at the sobbing child in an equally shocked Vlad's arms. He began to approach the two but someone held him firmly back, and he turned around to see Jazz with her hand on his shoulder, also holding an arm out to keep Maddie and Jack at a distance.

"Danny, don't," she whispered, shaking her head and giving him a sad look.

"You put me in there, you put me in there, you put me in there..." Dan was now mumbling through shaky sobs. Danny felt himself shaking just as much. He put a hand to his mouth, feeling terribly sick all of a sudden, and ran out of the room.

Vlad watched Danny run out, the same sick knot in his own stomach coupled with confusion at his son's words. The man's gaze met Jazz's, and the two shared a look before realization hit Vlad. He looked down helplessly at his son, unable to do anything but continue to try and comfort the traumatized child.

* * *

_He frantically slammed himself against the sides of wherever he was. He felt his lungs tighten, tried desperately to take in more air than was possible in such a small space. He tried to conjure up ectoplasm but failed. Why couldn't he? Wasn't he in his ghost form? In human form? Didn't he have __**any**__ form? What was he? __**Where**__ was he? Where were his parents? Why couldn't he get out?_

_Why did he feel so __**angry**__?_

_Suddenly, he heard a voice and felt something move whatever it was he was in. In his panic, he failed to hear whatever it was the voice had said. Against his will, he felt himself grow still as if there was someone controlling him, unable to keep up his struggles like he so badly wanted to do. He tried to scream and demand that the stranger outside let him out, but his voice wouldn't work._

_This was the worst part of his nightmares. The fact that his screams, his questions, his pleas always went unheard._

_Suddenly, a blinding blue-white light engulfed him, and the next thing he knew, he was in a strange room full of gears and ticking clocks. In front of him, a grave look on his face, was a blue-skinned ghost clad in a purple cloak. Dan felt his own fear flare at the strange scene and the ghost's piercing red eyes, on top of the contradictory feelings of rage he couldn't pinpoint the origin of. Ideas of ways he could hurt the ghost in front of him flashed through his head, and he whimpered - or tried to, at least - against the gore his mind conjured._

_"Well! It's certainly been a while, Clockwork," Dan heard the same baritone disembodied voice from his other nightmares say. "You obviously had your kicks keeping me in that infernal thing, but I hope you know that you just made a big mistake."_

_And then he felt himself lunge towards the ghost, trying to plead with his own body to not do what he could see in his mind's eye was about to occur._

_"TIME OUT!"_

_He froze, unable to move a single muscle. The other ghost, apparently named Clockwork, surveyed him with that same emotionless stare which made a shiver run down Dan's spine - or would've, if he weren't trapped in that strange form of limbo where he couldn't speak and where he had no control of his own body. All was silent for a few seconds' pause, Clockwork suddenly changing his appearance to that of a child's before speaking again._

_"If we were looking at my own future, this would be a grave mistake indeed. However, my job isn't to care for myself, but for the timeline." The disembodied voice didn't answer, and Dan could feel the strange presence in the back of his mind frozen just as much as he was in his nightmares. "Unfortunately, even the timeline will eventually have to do without me, for the most part. Now is not that time, though. Now is the time to take care of other matters."_

_Finally, Dan's emotions and the unidentified ones were the same, focused on the feeling of confusion as the ghost changed back into an adult form. Just what was this strange ghost talking about?_

_"But I digress. This is about __**you**__, after all. TIME IN!"_

_He could finally move again. This time, his body felt more hesitant to lunge at the time-controlling ghost. His eyes roamed over Clockwork, some part of him calculating as if trying to decipher the ghost's next move. "Let me guess. You're going to blackmail me into doing something for the timeline. Babysit my younger self, perhaps? Scare someone into repentance?" Clockwork simply smirked ambiguously._

_"None of that will be necessary, Dan. There's just a... bump in the timeline right now that I really must take care of, which you just happen to be a part of."_

_Dan's heart would've skipped a beat if he was all there. He'd never been addressed by name in any of his nightmares. He had no idea what this Clockwork and the voice were talking about, couldn't understand most of the things they were saying. He just wanted this to end! He wanted to wake up!_

_"What a shame. So tell me, now. What's to stop me from ending your afterlife in the most painful way I can muster on a whim?"_

_With the coldness the disembodied voice held, Dan was shocked that this Clockwork ghost could hold such a steady, fearless gaze when he himself could feel his mind constricted by fear despite the fact that he so often dreamed of things like this, of strange conversations and threats that ended in bloodshed. "I don't know. Is there really anything? After all, all is as it should be right now, and you will do what you have to do."_

_There was a pause full of angry curiosity before the voice spoke again. "I don't know what you're planning, Clocky... but I'm going to make it hurt."_

_Without warning, Dan's body lunged towards the ghost, grabbing his cloak and staring down at him. He felt himself grin, though he had nothing to be happy about, full of pure terror and anxiety at that moment. As he met Clockwork's gaze, he saw something he didn't recognize in the scarlet eyes, though his mind fed him the word to name the emotion. He saw pity._

_Then came that moment. Dan braced himself for what he knew was about to come, what always came in the end._

_The other ghost didn't struggle, didn't move as a black-gloved hand dug its claws into his chest, scattering the glass of the clock that was embedded there on the floor. Green-glowing hands tore violently at the ghost as if they were ripping through mere fabric, his face gruesomely mangled, ectoplasm splattering all over the tower ground and nearby gears. Dan felt invisible tears build up in his eyes, his phantom throat somehow raw from screaming and his pitiful sobs unnoticed as he felt some semblance of himself commit the act._

"Wake up, son. Shh, you're dreaming. Dan, wake up."

He reached out, shooting up in bed and trembling uncontrollably. It took him a second to realize he was awake and in his father's arms. He clutched at his father's pajama top, trying to get the grisly images out of his head as he was rocked back and forth.

It took several minutes to calm down, but Dan finally managed to steady his breathing and reduce his crying to mere sniffles, though the dream he'd just had was still clear in his mind and his shaking hadn't quite stopped.

"Do you want me to call your mother?"

Dan suddenly remembered the strange memory-like image of a cloakless, younger but unmistakable version of his mother pointing the Fenton Thermos at him and sucking him inside with a fire in his eyes. He frantically shook his head, clutching his father's shirt even tighter. "No!"

"Shh, alright. It's alright."

"I d-don't wanna be here!" Dan suddenly found himself crying out.

"Shh, calm down, son. I've got you. Where do you want to go?"

"It's dark in h-here!"

"Do you want me to turn on the -"

"It's small and I don't w-wanna be t-trapped!" he exclaimed, burying his face into his father's chest. He didn't hear what Vlad said next, but his ghost sense left him in the form of a red mist when he felt him transform. He clutched at the other half-ghost's silver suit as the familiar sensations of flight and intangibility washed over him. All the while, he never opened his eyes until he felt a cool breeze blow his way. Still clutching his father's suit, he looked up with teary blue eyes to see that they were now on the roof under a brilliantly starlit sky. Vlad set them both down, adjusting the child in his lap before he continued to rub soothing circles into his back.

"Better, Dan?"

"...It's still dark," he mumbled, moving around until he was able to grab his father's cape and wrap it around himself. Vlad looked down at him and smiled.

"Not necessarily. We've got all these stars around us, after all."

Dan shook his head, letting blue transformation rings wash over him and wrapping Vlad's cape tighter around himself. The wind made his flaming white hair flicker wildly against his neck, and he sighed. "Why does it even have to be dark?"

Vlad chuckled, relieved that the child had calmed down, for the most part. "There's nothing to be scared of, _lapushka_. I'm here, after all."

"I'm not scared of the dark! I'm not scared of anything!" Dan retaliated, scowling down at the roof tiles.

His father smirked. "Well, at least some part of you is aware that it's never wise to reveal one's fears and weaknesses. However, that doesn't mean that there's any shame in having them."

Dan was silent while he contemplated this, eventually forgetting what they were talking about when the memories of his latest nightmare came back to him. He looked up at the stars with a nervous red gaze. He knew his parents always told him his dreams weren't real, but it just seemed so... there was just something... "Dad, who's Clockwork?" He immediately felt his father tense against him.

"Why do you ask?"

Dan's interest peaked at his dad's tone of voice. "You _know_ him!"

"I most certainly don't."

"But you know who he is!"

"I never said that."

"But you do!"

"Enough, Dan," Vlad said firmly. Dan's eyes narrowed and he flew up to his father's face, challenging the warning look with his own mischievous mock-frown. The six year old grabbed Vlad's face between his small hands and squashed the cheeks together, creating quite a comical picture.

"But I need to know, Daddy! Is he a good guy or a bad guy?"

"Let go of my face, boy."

"Not until you tell me-eeEE!"

The child was suddenly grabbed from behind and spun around in rapid circles pressed against someone, the motion making his head spin.

"Get off, Dad!" he yelled at the duplicate who had grabbed him. It disappeared and he felt himself flying through the air before a pair of hands caught him. Dan saw double vision for a while before everything came back into focus, his father's amused smirk being the first thing that met his gaze. Vlad chuckled at the child's pout as Dan phased out of his grip and sank to the roof tiles, crossing his arms and turning away from his dad.

"Relax, boy. Where's your sense of humor?" the man said, sitting down next to the young half-ghost.

"You just didn't wanna answer me!"

"Because I have nothing to answer you, of course."

"Liar."

Vlad sighed heavily, and a thick silence engulfed the two, lightened somewhat by the soft twinkling of the stars.

"Is Clockwork evil?"

Vlad was silent, refusing to answer him.

"...Am _I_ evil?"

The eldest half-ghost started at the question, surveying his son with a critical gaze. The child wasn't looking at him, however, instead staring down at his lap and fiddling with the edge of his small cape. Vlad swallowed hard, trying to think of a suitable response to such a loaded question.

"Son, why would you ever wonder such a thing?" he asked the boy softly. "Why would you ever even classify yourself in such black and white terms?"

Dan finally looked up at him, red eyes confused at the mention of black and white terms. He frowned in frustration, shaking his head and not particularly caring to hear more things he didn't know the meaning of after his nightmare. "Dad, I hurt people in my dreams!" he cried, feeling his eyes grow moist. "I say bad things and scare others so much! And the kids at school call me scary sometimes, so I'm scary in real life, too! But you and Mom said that my dreams aren't real but... b-but... IT'S NOT FAIR!"

Out of despair, the child sent an ectoblast towards a tree across the street. It managed to nick a branch, successfully making half the tree collapse to the ground. Vlad winced, both at the damage and the small ghost's words which cut him down to the very core, knowing his child was in pain. The man swallowed hard, rubbing the child's back in what he hoped was a soothing manner.

"You're right. It _isn't_ fair." Dan looked at him with resentment, but his father continued before he could be interrupted. "But a lot of things aren't fair in life. It isn't fair that we have to hide our ghost halves. It isn't fair that you have bad dreams you don't deserve. And it most certainly isn't fair that your mother's so stubborn in returning your old man's affections, hmm?" Seeing that the young ghost didn't crack a smile at that, Vlad sighed.

"Dan, let me tell you something. Entities like us can't be classified into groups. We don't fit into the spectrum of ghosts or humans, we don't fit into the spectrum of normal human reproduction... but that also means that we don't fit into the spectrum of good and evil."

Seeing that the child was now listening intently, trying his best to understand everything his father was saying, Vlad continued. "We hold so much power, son. Much more than an ordinary ghost. That also means that we have the responsibility to use that power as we see fit. We will always have to make choices about how we use that power. What may be a good choice for our own benefit might seem like a bad choice to someone else."

"Like telling Grandma all that stuff so we could live together?"

Vlad smirked. "Precisely. Your mother isn't happy about it, but we both obviously know it was for the best."

Dan nodded, somewhat grasping the concept of all that his father was telling him.

"What I'm trying to say is that even though you'll end up making bad choices sometimes, that does not make you a bad person. And it most certainly does not make you 'evil.' Just remember to always keep a balance between your heart and your brain. Do you understand?"

"I think so."

Vlad smiled. "Good."

Another bout of silence passed between them, this time much more comfortable and even peaceful as the two sat close together looking at the stars.

"So, if we can't be evil, can the dark be evil? Because I don't like it."

The man chuckled. "No, Dan, the dark isn't evil, either. In fact, it can be quite peaceful. Most things won't fit into the category of either good or bad, as you'll come to find. This is what is meant by 'black and white terms.'"

Dan frowned. "But how's the dark _peaceful_? It's sca - I mean, it's stupid!"

"Well, you're not scared of the Ghost Zone, are you?"

The boy shook his head frantically at the question. "Of _course_ not! It's not _really_ dark there, anyways. There's ectoplasm and stuff there that makes things really bright!"

His father smiled at him. "You'll hear this more than once in your life, _lapushka_, but you can't have light without darkness. Remember, when it's dark in the Real World you can see the stars, and when it's dark in the Ghost Zone you can see the ecto-novas." He paused to let Dan think the words over before throwing another question his way. "Do you know what the green ectoplasm is, exactly, Dan?"

The child shook his head. He caught his father's hesitation, though the man still answered him. "They're the remains of departed ghosts."

Dan's face scrunched up in disgust. "Eww!"

"Not quite. You see, all this means is that ghosts are eternal," his father explained, conjuring up pink ectoplasm in his hand. "Ectoplasmic matter can never truly be destroyed. It is always around, always surrounding us and energizing our cores. All those departed ghosts watch over us, in a sense. And, when the miracle is able to occur, that ectoplasmic matter can join together and create something better. Something _marvelous_." Vlad molded the ectoplasm so that it turned from a simple ball into an intricate lily. "In a sense, that's how you were born, Dan. From mine and your mother's ectoplasmic energies joining together."

Dan's eyes widened, so busy observing the spectacle in front of him that he didn't notice his father's face, red eyes gazing sadly yet lovingly at him.

"So... since the Ghost Zone matches the Real World, does that mean the stars are humans watching over us?" Dan asked, looking away from the ectoplasmic lily and to his father. The man smiled.

"Now, there's a thought. What do you think, _lapushka_?"

Dan didn't answer right away, but then he grinned and said, "Maybe."

* * *

**End notes: **So while writing this, it occurred to me that the dream I was writing up was in the mind of a six year old. And certainly not the worst of what his dreams are supposed to be. And I just thought... what is _wrong_ with me? Why would anyone do that to a poor six year old? Ah, well, c'est la vie. Obviously, this all affects Dan as he gets older. He lacks much of the innocence that other children his age have, making him that much more different than his peers. Because most of the ghosts Dan associates with don't have the same emotions for shock value as humans, it's yet another reason why he gets along better with them. That doesn't mean that that Dan lacks those emotions himself (at least not yet - come on, people, he's still a kid), only that he's that much more inclined to embrace his ghost side, the very meaning of freedom to him.

The whole "ghosts don't age past their twenties" thing that Danny mentioned. Just drawing on the Instinct-universe bit that by-birth ghosts reach full _physical_ maturity in their twenties. Ectoplasm can't be destroyed, and ghosts "live" forever unless they are so damaged that they lose form. Now, since ectoplasm preserves a ghost so that it never shuts down out of natural causes, this translates into preserving the physical form where a ghost, or even a human, has the most vitality - in their twenties. I especially think that half-ghosts' bodies would work overtime to preserve the healthiest possible physical form because half-ghosts have to keep up two completely different biological structures that are constantly working together. In Vlad's case, his ghost form would've been twenty, would've reached full physical maturity, when he reached his forties... Besides, wouldja look at Vlad's bod' in "Eye for an Eye?" There's gotta be _something_ keeping that up! Ahem. Yes, I _do_ love to think up complicated theories to suit my own tastes and/or plot points, but then how do you think I managed to knock up Danny and reincarnate Dark Dan?

Six years have passed at this point, and unfortunately, it looks like Danny's starting to forget a lot of important things - like how he initially placed all his trust in Vlad, and his promise to not let Dan live in Dark Dan Phantom's shadow. But he's only human (sort of), and these things do happen. It's just not going to be pleasant for Dan, huh?

Anyways, that's it for now! Will be posting at least two oneshots this week, both Vlad/Danny. I've been writing up a storm for this story, lately. Remember, reviews help fuel the Jewcika Writing Train! :D


	8. Between Dreams

**Notes:** Sorry for the wait! This chapter wasn't originally in my outline, so it took a while longer, since I usually have a couple chapters done ahead of time. That and I''ve been stuck at my grandparents' for Thanksgiving break, and I guess they don't believe in internet. But I figured I should resolve the little thermos incident last chapter, plus lay out the situation with Vlad's allies and the Ghost Zone with an extra chapter., instead of just throwing it at you like I do later on. Actually... this chapter was kind of my excuse to have just a little fun with Dan and the other ghosts, too. And the Danny angst. Oh, the delicious Danny angst. Funny, because I figured that throwing in this new chapter would be more filler than anything, but it turned out kind of significant (and _long_!).

On the other hand, this chapter might or might not be just a bunch of dysfunctional family drama with a couple ghosts thrown in. You decide.

* * *

**Chapter Seven – Between Dreams**

The boy threw another green ectoplasmic disc at the wall, pouting when it clumsily went in the opposite direction that he wanted. Still, he didn't let it discourage him, and simply tried again as he'd been taught.

The training room was a dome-shaped underground room with off-white walls and very high-tech, created by Technus with his father's blueprints. It was also Dan's favorite place – besides the Ghost Zone, of course. When activated, the room created holographic ghosts to fight and materialized targets for practice rounds such as the one Dan was doing at the moment. However, that wasn't Dan's favorite part of the room. His favorite part was the room's features for flying practice, where Dan could fly through high mountain peaks, city skyscrapers, prehistoric glaciers, and explore a virtual (i.e. safer) Ghost Zone. His father had added that bit specifically with Dan in mind.

It would be much easier to practice shooting ectoplasmic discs if Dan could activate the room's target practice, but nevertheless he had no idea how to work the controls. That and he was strictly prohibited from touching them – his father's instructions, meaning he was warier of disobeying them than if it had been his mother telling him so. Still, at least his parents let him practice his powers in the training room (a safe, ghost-proof environment where he couldn't break anything). He had ample room to be as destructive as he wanted during his own personal training sessions.

Dan was quite entertained practicing his new power in the vast dome. For once, it was something his mom had taught him. His mother never usually encouraged him to work on his powers for some reason, but this time he'd been willing to teach him something new. It was after Dan had caught the man training that he'd learned of this particular trick, and although it had taken much convincing, the child was finally able to learn how to shape his ectoplasm – to some extent at least, into the shape of lightweight throwing discs.

"Dan?"

Dan froze when he heard his mother's voice, the ectoplasm he'd been molding immediately disintegrating as he lost his focus. The child tried to calm himself, to make it go away, but the image of himself getting sucked into the thermos just wouldn't get out of his head! "I... I have to go put my toys away," the boy muttered without looking behind him. Just as he turned his legs into a tail to quickly flee from the room, however, his mother teleported in front of him and Dan braked his flight for all he was worth.

"Nice try. You never put your toys away without me telling you," Danny said, a sad look coming onto his face when he caught the fear in the boy's eyes. He sighed wearily. "Come on, son. Talk to me."

Dan turned his gaze downwards, not only to avoid looking at his mother, but also because of the unpleasant feelings that hit him when he heard his mom's sadness come out through his voice. He felt himself further deflate when he thought of the fact that he'd probably been the one to put it there. A bit teary-eyed from the frustration and conflicting feelings, he dejectedly said, "I don't understand why I always see things..."

Danny sat cross-legged in midair, staring intently at his son. Although it hurt him to ask it, he knew that he couldn't in good conscience leave this alone. That's why he'd come down here, after all – he didn't want his son to be traumatized by the incident, and he refused to let Dan be afraid of him. "...What did you see?" he asked after a pause, his voice soft, but Dan was hesitant to answer. "Was it another dream?"

Dan shook his head. "N-No. It was weird. I felt... weird. And I saw..."

"You saw..." Danny coaxed the boy, despite the fact that he was a bit afraid of what the answer would be. He already had a very good idea, after all.

"I saw you putting me in the Fenton Thermos," Dan whimpered, finally looking at his mom. "And there was fire everywhere and everything was destroyed and you looked really mad at me."

Despite having completely expected the answer, it was by no means comforting to a pained-looking Danny. How many incidents like these would eventually reveal everything to the poor boy? "Oh, Dan," he whispered and grabbed the child in a tight hug. Dan tensed, but eventually relaxed into his mother's hold upon feeling the comfortable and familiar coolness of the ghostly form. Of course his mother would never do something like that on purpose! It was just another horrible, vivid dream.

"Dan. I would _never_ hurt you. You hear me? If I could've stopped you ending up in that thermos, I would have, no matter what," Danny said, the conviction in his voice being of great comfort to the little confused half-ghost. "What you saw wasn't real. Nothing you see is real, okay? Not your dreams, not the things in your head. _It's not real_."

Dan frowned again, upset for different reasons than before. "But I wasn't even asleep when I dreamed of that," he argued. "It _looks_ real, Mom!"

"I know it does," Danny sighed. "I know it does. But the only real thing is what we have right now, in real life. It's all in the present, where we are right now, okay?" Danny swallowed and hugged Dan tighter, not looking at him anymore, but rather _through_ him. Dan stared at him quizzically, disconcerted by the emotion that he couldn't quite name present in his mother's voice. "Nothing that's not part of this here matters," he heard his mother mutter, almost to himself.

The unexpected turn of conversation confused Dan, and to hear his mother so uptight about reality and the "present" bothered him a great deal. It put him on edge, and as the details of his strange dream from the other night drifted into his mind, so did the inexplicable need to tell his mother about it. It was always that way, that strange feeling as if his mother would somehow be able to understand and explain everything he was unwillingly made to see. But he never did.

"The ghost in my dream last night called me by my name," he began with the thing that had bothered him most from last night.

All that Danny could do was stare at him through the long silence that transpired between them, his mouth partially open as if wanting to ask him to elaborate but perhaps not having the heart to. For some reason, Dan seemed to take that as his cue to continue.

"His name was Clockwork."

That did it for Danny. The fear in his eyes was unmistakable, as was the sharp and sudden intake of breath. It made Dan's own breath hitch and his heart race. He always felt the need to confide in his mother about these things, though he only wished that his mom's reaction would be more like his father's calm and collected one. It made him feel as if the fear in his mother's eyes was somehow _his own_fault, like his mother was afraid of _him_ for dreaming up these things!

Still, Dan always told Danny about his nightmares as if retelling them would keep them from being real, like his parents constantly assured him they weren't. Dan gripped his mother's arm and looked up at him with big scarlet eyes. Danny wanted desperately to look away from the red orbs but found himself unable to.

"I was in the thermos," the boy began in a tone of voice that made him seem much smaller, "and then this weird ghost with a purple cape like yours got me out. He kept going from being little to being really old. We were in this place with a lot of clocks, a-and then I was gonna attack him! But he made it so I couldn't move! And then he said something about taking care of the timeline, and that it was about me. B-but then he made it so I could move again. And I asked why he let me out of the thermos and..."

He trailed off as he tried to remember the exact words and details of his dream. "And he said that there was a... a bump in the timeline?" Dan didn't notice his mother's horrified look as he paused to catch his breath. "And then he... he just l-let me hurt him, Mom! 'Cause I -"

"DAN!"

Danny had finally looked away from Dan, but his eyes were now shut tight and he was shaking, the embrace loose around the child's frame so that it was barely even there.

Clockwork had let _him_ out of the thermos? He'd let _him_ out knowing what the consequences of doing it would be?

"_What happened? Danny asked in a shaky whisper._

_Clockwork's single healthy eye narrowed, the smile disappearing from his face. "Nothing that wasn't necessary."_

Oh, God... it was never an accident! It was all just a well-orchestrated series of events... possibly even beginning with his own first experience with that alternate future! And thanks to Clockwork, this poor child had to deal with the hard life he had been dealt. Him and Danny both. And from the looks of it, there was a _reason_ that his son, his little Dan had been born as he had, and knowing Clockwork, it was most likely not a pleasant one. How could someone he'd once trusted be so cruel?

Of course he'd never doubt his son's word or truly dismiss such a thing as a mere dream, coming from him. It made too much sense, after all. Unfortunately, it was Dan who ended up with the violent remnants of whatever that other future could be called.

Dan observed his mother's reaction with a nervous gaze. Was it his fault? Should he not have said anything at all? Even when he told him about the horrible things that happened in his dreams, his mom never reacted like this!

Dan scowled. No, it wasn't his fault. His father had also gotten nervous when Dan had mentioned Clockwork. Maybe all his other dreams were just that, but this was too much of a coincidence! It was all it took to convince Dan that Clockwork was an evil ghost. And he was out there somewhere – and his parents knew it. Maybe even all of the Ghost Zone knew it, and they were all just as scared of Clockwork as his parents!

Dan's eyes suddenly narrowed in determination, his white aura flaring for a second. The child disentangled himself from the loose hug he was in, floating up to his mother's face and poking him in an attempt to get him to open his eyes. "Mom!" he called out.

"Dan, please don't," Danny whispered in the strongest voice he could muster, biting his lip to keep his tumultuous emotions at bay.

Dan, frustrated and knowing what he had to say was important, growled and bit into his mother's arm with sharp teeth and tiny, pointed fangs. Danny yelped and finally, albeit unwillingly, opened his eyes to give his son a scolding look. "Dan -"

"No! It doesn't matter if you guys say my dreams aren't real, 'cause even if they were, it would be okay 'cause I would protect you!" Danny said, floating in place and gesticulating wildly with his black-gloved hands, his face inches from his mother's own. Danny was shocked into silence by the sincerity and determination in the six year old's scarlet eyes. What Dan said next, however, truly took Danny's breath away, even if it also confused him a little. "I'm not gonna let Clockwork or any other evil ghost hurt you, Mom. Ever! Even if half-ghosts can't be good or bad, I'm still gonna be the good guy if you want me to be! Because it will make you less scared and it means I can protect you better!

And Dan meant every word. He knew there were still those who wanted to hurt half-ghosts in particular – ghosts and humans alike shared the sentiment. And following his father's example, Dan would let n_obody_ hurt his family or make them afraid. They were _his_ to protect, _especially_ his mother.

Danny was at a loss of words as he simply stared down at his son, fear now gone from his face to be replaced with awe and surprise. After a good while, Dan almost began to falter because he thought he'd said something wrong to evoke the long silence that followed his declarations. However, all that doubt disappeared when Danny grabbed him in an even tighter hug, resting his chin gently atop the child's head. The green-eyed ghost let out a shaky breath. "...Thank you, son," he said simply, his voice full of emotion.

Dan's heart swelled at hearing his mother's gratitude for his willingness to protect him – or at least that's what the boy believed he was being thanked for. In reality, Danny's thanks were for so much more. Dan returned his mother's hug and cuddled into his chest, content at last.

* * *

It was a hectic day at the Masters residence, and Dan loved it... though the child was the only one, since he wasn't bothered by the events that had the manor packed to the brim with ghosts and all the portals shut tight, and he also wasn't bothered by the ghosts themselves which all had his mother quite on edge.

Dan didn't understand much about it, nor did he care to, but he was aware of the revolt in the Ghost Zone that meant he couldn't go there for a while. It also meant that many of his parents' allies had taken refuge at their house, but not without a price – they had the duty of strengthening the security around the premise and monitoring the situation outside, so naturally most of them were simply running amok while his parents were distracted with other things.

His mother, most of all, was paying quite a price, since the ghosts took it upon themselves to run in and out of wherever he happened to be, pulling several pranks on the poor half-ghost – even after Danny had had a very long day of ghost-fighting, and ironically enough despite the fact that it had been the heroic ghost's idea to provide them with refuge. The only reason he still allowed the spectral guests to stay was because they weren't causing any _intentional_ damage, and to leave them to their own devices would either mean a painful demise in the Ghost Zone or an accidental yet _still_ painful brawl at the hands of Fenton Works' newest weapons for the occasion. Dan's grandparents were busy fighting up a storm with the rogue ghosts that had come into the Real World, after all, and they could hardly tell the difference between the malevolent and the slightly less malevolent ones.

At the moment, Dan was busy being nosy in Vlad's underground lab. His father's closest allies were in there, to Dan's delight. Currently, his father was locked into an argument with Technus as the two worked to better the security system so that the manor would remain safe from rogue ghosts wanting nothing more than to create chaos. One of them had already found its way inside earlier, so Vlad and Technus were attempting to figure out where the gap in the security lay.

"Wait! I think I want that sector to be covered after all," Vlad said as he stopped Technus from making yet another adjustment to the ghost shield.

"Would you make up your mind already?" the other ghost retorted.

Dan floated above both their shoulders, not understanding any of the complicated systems they were working on, yet still amused by the two ghosts' bickering. The child couldn't help but giggle at his dad's well-executed threats to Technus which successfully got the self-proclaimed master of technology back to work, grumbling under his breath the whole time.

A silence fell over them, and Dan very quickly grew bored of simply hovering there. Scanning the lab again, he quickly spotted the two ghosts he was looking for. Skulker and the Fright Knight, his two favorite ghostly "playmates," were conversing nearby. He silently flew over to them to see what they were talking about.

"It's absolute insanity!" Skulker exclaimed with a shake of his head. "I don't know _what_ Walker thinks he's doing! He's just making everything worse!"

The Fright Knight didn't look at him, as if not giving him importance. He usually barely spared anyone but his opponents and Vlad – and now Danny and Dan – a glance. "It's irrelevant. This can't be helped. Whether the warden does anything or not, it will all yield the same result."

Skulker grinned maliciously, though without humor. "You'd know all about that, wouldn't you?"

"What is your point in bringing up my previous allegiance? Are you not yourself only allied with our Liege for your own convenience?" the Fright Knight said, unimpressed.

Skulker rolled his eyes. "He is not my _liege_, he is simply my employer."

The Fright Knight shook his head and scoffed. "Right. I forgot how your old human tendencies like _friendship_ always come out so easily."

The mechanical ghost glared. "He is _not_ my friend, he's my employer!" he growled, and Dan had to hold in a giggle at seeing Skulker so quickly inflamed. Skulker _was_ his dad's friend! He certainly acted like it, at least, but he always denied it, as did his father. "Besides, I still don't see what benefits you're getting from serving Plasmius. Compared to everything Pariah gave you, at least."

The Fright Knight stared ahead and, for once, fumbled with a response. "...He possesses the Crown of Fire. Though I don't understand why he does not unlock its power. He certainly seemed like the type when he claimed he could retrieve it."

Skulker grinned. "Yet _he_ wasn't technically the one to retrieve it, was he?"

"He retrieved it. He simply was not the one to usurp it from Pariah."

"What's 'usurp' mean?" Dan interrupted all of a sudden, already not understanding most of the conversation, but curious about it nonetheless.

Skulker stared down at him, but upon seeing that the child wasn't backing down from the menacing look (not that he'd actually expected the whelp to), he simply swatted him away like a pesky fly. Given how light he was and the other ghost's strength, Dan was sent flying through the air until he was able to stabilize himself a few feet away. "Go away, child. This doesn't concern you."

Dan scowled and he flew straight towards Skulker again. "Why not?" Dan huffed.

"Because! You're, what, six years old?"

"Six and a half!"

Skulker snorted. "Right. Why don't you go off and play now, whelp?"

The Fright Knight nodded. "He's right, for once. I don't think my Liege would be too happy if his offspring was present in a conversation about times of war just yet."

"It's not war! Stop exaggerating!" Skulker snapped, and the two ghosts began arguing all over again.

The boy approached the two quarreling ghosts with a mischievous look on his face, but Skulker was quick to stop him before he could try anything by firmly grabbing his spectral tail. "Didn't I tell you to go? Shoo!"

Dan was launched across the room, landing in an unflattering heap on the floor. Rubbing his slightly sore back, he thought about telling on Skulker – his father was just on the other side of the room – but he'd rather deny the guffawing Skulker and Fright Knight the satisfaction of knowing they'd made him that upset.

He should've expected that Skulker wouldn't be in a playful mood. After all, his father had called him in at an apparently inconvenient time to leave his island unattended (he'd heard Skulker heartily complaining about it when he'd first arrived). That and Skulker was only ever really nice to him when nobody was around. It was a shame, because Skulker was probably Dan's favorite ghost to hang out with.

He couldn't remember when he first met Skulker, since he had been just a newborn, but his Aunt Sam had told him that he hadn't liked the ghost at first and that it had taken him a very long time to warm up to him. He couldn't imagine why now, since he more or less looked up to him at present. When he was willing, Skulker would show him some of his weapons, he'd go in the training room with him, and he'd even treated him to dinner at his lair!

...Though that last bit had only been a one-time deal, since his mother had gotten quite upset when he'd found out that Skulker had served up some of his prey that they'd hunted together as their meal. That had been a rather interesting argument between his mother and Aunt Sam.

The Fright Knight was probably the ghost that Dan liked second best, though he never interacted with him the way Skulker would. There was just something about him – perhaps it was the power he held, or the way he always seemed to listen to him despite it clearly being out of obligation, but Dan trusted the ghost.

Dan considered going over to where his dad and Technus were again, but quickly dismissed the idea. Technus was one of his father's allies which he couldn't stand. The ghost was almost as annoying as Phoebe, sometimes!

Pouting, Dan decided to exit the lab, invisibly phasing through the rooms of the house and into his bedroom, where he grabbed the traveling cloak his parents always made him wear when they went to the Ghost Zone. Allegedly, it was for his own protection, since his parents didn't want ghosts they didn't trust to know what he looked like. There were many ghosts around today that his mother had told him to wear the cloak if he found himself outside the presence of ghosts who knew him well enough, even inside his own home.

The only ghosts who'd ever really seen Dan without his cloak were most of his mother's friends, Skulker, the Fright Knight, Technus, and his father's ghost vultures. His mother's friends like Dora, Frostbite, and Pandora were all very nice and, just like his mother, the boy knew they were trustworthy. His dad trusted Skulker and the Fright Knight, as his closest allies, to know what Dan looked like without revealing him to anyone who might have a grudge with his parents. Technus seeing him without his cloak had been an accident about a year ago, but Vlad had gotten him under very good threat afterwards. The vultures simply hung around so much that his father hadn't wanted Dan to always be hidden away; the threat was implied with the three ghost birds that they'd be destroyed in the blink of an eye if anything were to happen, so Vlad hadn't been too worried about them.

Dan put on the black cloak. It concealed his body, while the hood covered up and subdued most of his flaming hair and cast his face into shadows. It was annoying, but he knew his parents would not be happy if he were to forgo wearing it today, though it certainly felt strange to have to wear it inside the house.

He flew out of the room and through the manor, passing the ghost genie whose name he couldn't remember fooling around with some of Vlad's priceless artifacts. Nearby was Dora talking with a sulking Prince Aragon, and she waved as he flew by. He smiled back at her, one of the few of his mother's friends that would actually bother to come by, before turning back around and heading towards her.

"Hello, Young Sir," she greeted him pleasantly, while Aragon simply scowled.

"Have you seen my mom?" he immediately asked.

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Young Sir. The last time I saw him, he said he was going to try to find a place where he wouldn't be bothered."

The boy sighed, and he was about to thank her when his ghost sense and another child's voice behind him distracted him. "I KNOW WHERE YOUR MOM IS, DAN!"

Dan stuck his forked tongue in annoyance. "Youngblood," he whispered to himself before going invisible. A certain pigtailed ghost girl's squeal of joy, however, quickly got him to change tactics. With a puff of green smoke that gave away his location, the young half-ghost disappeared on the spot before it had a chance to make a difference.

He still wasn't quite practiced in teleportation, so when he used it, he wasn't quite sure where he was going to end up, though he knew it wouldn't be far from his starting point. And he was right; he'd reappeared in the exact same spot, only a floor above. Having lost his invisibility when he'd teleported, he went invisible again and began to quickly maneuver the hallways, this time both to find his mother and avoid the two excited ghost children that were certain to be looking for him. He didn't mind Youngblood _too_ much, sometimes, but when him and Phoebe got together – well, there was a reason he was flying so frantically, right? As he was moving through the upper floor, however, he heard someone muttering nearby.

"Stupid hunter. How am I supposed to find him in this house? If either of the halfa dipsticks see me, I'm toast!"

It was a ghost girl he'd never seen before. She looked only a little older than Kitty, actually. Adjusting his invisible hood, he regained visibility and cautiously approached her.

"Who are you?" he asked suspiciously.

She jumped, adopting a strange fighting pose with her guitar before she saw that it was just a kid who'd addressed her. "None of your..." she paused, studying him closely. "Actually, I want to know if you know Skulker."

Dan squinted back at her curiously. She didn't _look_ threatening, and there was more than one ghost he'd never seen before here today, but this one evoked his curiosity in a way he couldn't quite place. "Maybe I do. But you have to tell me your name, first!"

Rolling her eyes, she replied, "I don't have time for this, kid!"

"Then I don't have time to tell you where Skulker is!"

"Fine! It's Ember!" she said through clenched teeth, her hair flaring with her exasperation.

Dan tried to challenge it with his own flaring white mane before he remembered it was hidden under the hood. "Well, if you're gonna be so mean about it, I won't tell you where Skulker is, Ember," the boy cheekily retorted.

Ember's next biting remark was cut short by the sound of... a squawking parrot?

"Oh, no!" Dan looked around frantically, and was about to rapidly take off again when Ember grabbed the back of his cloak.

"Wait up, brat!"

"He's in my dad's lab! But I don't think you're allowed in!" the child said all in one breath before giving an anxious squeak and ectoblasting Ember, who immediately released him. Without another thought, he teleported again, and began to wildly fly and phase through the house, concentrating on Phoebe's well-known ecto-signature the entire time. Once her signature felt weak from the distance between them, Dan finally allowed himself to come to a sudden halt, his faint heart rate and breathing slowing in the process.

As Dan looked around, he noticed he'd ended up on the first floor again, on the other side of the house. Once again, he wondered where his mother was, and turned the other way to look for him. Just as he was passing the music room, Dan spotted Johnny 13 and Kitty. The child giggled to himself and began to make his way over to them. Kitty was always quite nice to him, and Johnny was almost always willing to play with him as long as the child didn't mess up his bike. He was so distracted that he never noticed his ghost sense go off, and before he could reach his playmates, he was abruptly grabbed from behind by his spectral tail.

"Oh, vill you look at vat ve have here!"

Sharp claws suddenly dug into his tail, and the child couldn't hold in a squeak of surprise and pain as the three vultures who had assaulted him guffawed, each taking a turn pulling at his tail and cloak.

"Hey! Let go of me!" Dan cried as he struggled to free himself, trying to reach each vulture in turn but failing as they came in from all directions.

Finally fed up, Dan bared his pointed teeth and narrowed his eyes. He barely flinched at the next attack one of the vultures made, busy taking careful aim. Unexpectedly for the ghosts, he began blasting away at them.

All three birds squawked in pain, startled as the child began to mercilessly pelt them with green ectoplasmic discs. The three ghosts scattered, though Dan stayed hot on their tails, refusing to give them a break after being harassed by them.

"Stop! Ve are too old for zis abuse!" one screamed.

"Yeah, didn't anyone teach you to respect your elders?"

"Not when they're asking to get their butts kicked!" the child responded, catching one's tail feathers as if to emphasize his point. Dan couldn't help but grin as he followed the ghosts, very much aware that he was doing _great_ with his new power. And he wasn't even trying! He really was glad that his powers came so easily to him – much more easily than they seemed to come to Phoebe, at least.

The chase continued through the house, startling a few ghosts and Vlad's cat as they phased through the myriad of rooms.

Dan was so caught up in the pursuit of his new unwilling playmates that he didn't notice where they were headed. The vultures phased through a pair of oak doors with a golden nameplate, and naturally Dan phased in as well.

They all failed to see Danny as the half-ghost jumped out of his chair and nearly knocked over his laptop in surprise. Seeing exactly what the sudden disturbance was, the man quickly transformed into his ghost form and easily picked Dan out of the air by the back of his cloak, just as he tied the vultures together with an ectoplasmic rope in an almost practiced way.

"ENOUGH! Do you know how many times ghosts have come in here for Annoy Danny Day?" Danny scolded Dan, his eyes red with rage. The child couldn't help but shrink back a bit. "It's enough coming from them, I don't need you chasing anyone around the house and breaking things, Dan! So could you at least think about Mommy for once? And _you three_," his voice became much harsher once he turned to look at the three scowling vultures. "Don't think I don't know that you like to provoke him! So either leave him alone or I'll send you back to the Ghost Zone in liquid form, I don't care _what_ Vlad says. Got it?"

The vultures nodded frantically as Danny's voice grew angrier and escalated in volume with every word, his eyes glowing an ungodly scarlet. Thankfully, Vlad's allies had learned to (begrudgingly) respect Vlad's would-be mate over the years. At this point, however, even Dan was cringing at his mother's tone.

Danny allowed the ectoplasmic ropes around the vultures to fade out of existence. The three ghost birds quickly made themselves scarce, muttering under their breath.

"Mothers. Alvays so aggressive."

"Zat's vhy zey are called ze _aggressive mate_, ya nincompoop!"

Dan heard his mom sigh exasperatedly, the man's eyes narrowed at the spot where the vultures had last been.

"Mom?" he called out tentatively.

Danny realized he was still holding up his son at an awkward angle by the back of his traveling cloak. He smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry, sweetie," he said, quickly letting him go and ruffling the boy's hair as his eyes returned to their normal neon green. Dan sighed in relief knowing that his mother was no longer angry – though he still looked quite tense.

"Why don't you like it when other ghosts are around, Mom?" the child asked, assuming that was the reason his mother was in such a state.

Danny sighed and ran a hand through his white hair, collapsing back onto Vlad's desk chair. Dan floated closer to him and allowed his hood to fall, his hair glowing in bright white flames. "Because, Dan, they' don't really like me much. They like to make Mommy's life harder."

Dan snickered. "Well, they like me! Except for those stupid birds."

Danny looked away nervously. "I know they do, Dan."

"Why are they all here right now? Why aren't they hiding in their lairs?" Dan asked curiously, and his mother frowned at the question.

"They... want to be safe right now. And the Ghost Zone isn't, so your father is helping them out... and so am I. Because it's a good thing to help others when they need it."

"But why?"

Danny frowned. "Because it's the right thing to do, son. You should always -"

"No! I mean why isn't the Ghost Zone safe right now?"

"Oh." Danny paused. "Uh, well, do you remember those big groups of ghosts we told you to stay away from?"

"Yeah," the child confirmed.

"Well, there were a whole lot more in the jail we always pass by in the Ghost Zone. And some of them got out, and they're doing a lot of... bad things in there right now. There's a lot of them, so some ghosts that we know were in trouble or just didn't want to be around all that, so they asked to come here."

_And it certainly beats the way they ransacked the town for new lairs back with Pariah..._

"And Dad said it was okay?"

Danny nodded. "As long as they helped keep us safe, I think was the deal."

"Oh," the child said. "Why are there so many new groups of ghosts?"

"You know, I'm not sure," Danny said slowly. "It didn't used to be like this."

"What was the Ghost Zone like before?"

Danny smiled. "You're asking a lot of questions today."

"I like the Ghost Zone! Of _course_ I want to know this stuff, Mom," Dan replied as if it should be the most obvious thing in the world.

Danny frowned, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. It really was disconcerting that Dan loved the Ghost Zone so much. "The Real World is a lot safer and nicer now. But... I suppose the Ghost Zone used to be a lot better back when I first discovered it. It was really quiet, usually. Kind of scary at times, but pretty different from how it is now. It seemed brighter, too, for some reason."

"But it's bright _now_," Dan argued, remembering the green ectoplasm that always lit up in the vast expanse of darkness that was the Ghost Zone in just the way he liked it.

Danny smirked. "Yeah, well, it used to be even _brighter_. And there weren't half as many ghosts, so it was easy to know pretty much anyone you passed. Of course, this wasn't really the best for your mother here. Ghosts liked me even _less_ back then. It was hard to avoid bad ghosts because they always seemed to be looking for me."

Dan was entranced by his mother's words by this point. His mother never really talked about his experiences as a kid or his early ghost encounters like his father did. Dan floated closer to his mother, his mouth slightly parted in awe. "How come I can't go to the Ghost Zone more? You and Dad used to always go!" Suddenly, Dan couldn't help but pout in resentment. "All the ghosts like me, so why can't I go more?"

"The way it was back then and the way it is now are two completely different things, Dan," Danny tried to reason with the six year old. "There are a lot more ghosts now, and they're a lot more prone to hurt anyone for no reason. They don't keep to themselves like the ghosts that we know tend to do."

"But why?"

"Because most of the ghosts we know were once human, or were raised by other ghosts as a family. They have a different culture and different customs than the ghosts who run around the Ghost Zone now."

Dan moved to his mother's lap now, his curiosity overcoming his previous mood. "How come they're so different?"

Danny thought for a second. "I'm not sure. It might have something to do with the way they're made, just like we're made of both human and ghost halves so we have our own way of behaving and thinking. I'm sure Vlad knows a lot about that – but don't ask him! Your father likes to twist around ideas and words."

Dan laughed at his mother's quick attempt to downplay his father, even after praising him. His mom had let it slip, but Dan planned to ask Vlad about it anyways. The child's thoughts wandered, and another question popped into his head. "Why are there so many more weird ghosts now?"

"I'm not sure about that either, Dan."

"Skulker says it's 'cause of Walker."

Danny raised an eyebrow. "Walker?"

"Yeah! Who is he? Is he a bad ghost?"

"He's a ghost that Vlad and I would like you to stay away from," his mother answered rather hesitantly. There was a pause before Danny asked, "Did Skulker say why he thought it was Walker's fault that there were so many ghosts now?"

The boy shrugged. "I dunno. I've heard Dad and him talk about it. Dad says that Walker is putting all the ghosts that were never human and aren't strong in jail! And Skulker says that it's making them mad. Dad called Walker a Nazi."

Danny's eyes narrowed. "I'm going to have to have a talk with Vlad about letting you listen in on these conversations," he mumbled, mostly to himself.

Dan pouted, remembering Skulker and the Fright Knight saying something similar not too long ago. "Hey! I'm grown up!"

Danny raised an amused eyebrow. "Well, you're certainly getting pretty big. You're going to be seven, soon!"

Dan nodded, his pout melting into a smile. "Yeah! And my powers are getting really good! I can do this, now!"

The boy closed his eyes in concentration, and Danny watched in amusement. However, he certainly didn't expect the six year old to suddenly become _two._ The duplicate was quickly reabsorbed within a second, but the man was nevertheless quite shocked. It had taken him over a year to be able to do that without incident, and here was a _child_ with barely developing powers pulling the trick off!

"Where did you learn to do that?" he asked in troubled awe.

"Dad taught me," Dan answered proudly.

The half-ghost glared at the wall. "Of course he did."

Before he had a chance to say anything else, the loud screeching of tires just outside the room startled them both, accompanied by a thunderous crash and the sound of glass breaking.

"Where the heck did that cat come from?" came Kitty's voice from the hallway.

Danny winced and sighed deeply, gritting his teeth and hesitantly floating over to the door with a giggling Dan trailing behind him.

* * *

It was almost midnight, yet Danny found himself unable to get a wink of sleep. He'd been grading papers for the past two hours, though at this point he was pretty much just pointing out spelling mistakes. He'd finished grading all hundred and five essays on the solar system an hour ago.

The half-ghost shifted on the air mattress, wishing Vlad hadn't flooded all the guest rooms, including his old room from when he used to stay at the manor. He had to sleep in one of the living rooms for now, and Danny had flat out refused any sort of hospitality from the billionaire.

The littlest thing, even grading papers, was proving difficult with his inability to concentrate. There were so many thoughts overwhelming his mind, he was surprised he could still speak with the way they jumped from one incident to the next!

To top it off, his body was aching with the strain of the day. It had been a while since he'd done extraneous battle, and he hadn't gotten home form helping his parents fight the invading ghosts until the evening – just in time for the ghosts _inside_ of the manor to pester him endlessly. This didn't help the stress and fatigue from move-in day the day before yesterday, or the toll the whole thermos incident had taken on him. In short, Danny was spent both physically and mentally.

He couldn't help but think how nice it would be to have the time to explore the cause of the unrest in the Ghost Zone. If he was younger, Sam, Tucker, Jazz and him would surely have taken the Specter Speeder out for a ride and uncovered something or other. Danny would possibly be fighting for his life, but in the end everyone would be safe, including the other ghosts.

He _wasn't_ a carefree teenager anymore, though. He couldn't afford to risk his life with Dan to tend to – he could never even _imagine_ doing that to his son. Danny couldn't help but feel frustrated. Of course, that isn't to say that he'd ever trade Dan for anything. Despite the hardships, he loved the child more than anything, more than life itself. Dan was his _son_, for crying out loud. Still, he couldn't help but think about all that he'd lost that Christmas Eve – his freedom, his partying years in college, his love life – and all thanks to one time-tampering ghost.

The dark thoughts that followed were interrupted by a knock on the door, but that only invoked more dark thinking. There was only one person who'd actually bother to knock, and it certainly wasn't his son or any of the ghosts currently roaming the house, all of whom didn't know the meaning of the word. Danny rolled his eyes.

"I'm grading papers, Vlad!" he snapped, glaring holes at the door as if the other hybrid would feel his heated stare and leave. There was a pause, but Danny didn't hear any footsteps moving away.

"Daniel, I -"

"What part of 'leave me alone' don't you understand?" Danny hissed, more scathingly this time. Perhaps he was being childish, but he certainly couldn't bring himself to care at the moment.

He heard Vlad sigh exasperatedly on the other side of the door before the half-ghost phased in, clad in a simple robe and loose pants. Danny only turned around towards the door to flash toxic green eyes at him. He opened his mouth to scream at the other man, but Vlad beat him to it.

"I've already warned all the ghosts to stay away from this part of the house. You won't be bothered by them anymore. What more do you want?"

Danny stared incredulously at him.

_What more do I want? That presumptuous, inconsiderate..._

The younger man growled in frustration, jumping to his feet and turning his back to Vlad to face the window.

"What I _want_ is for you to go to your own damn room, Vlad."

Vlad grit his teeth before stomping over to him and spinning him around.

"Enough of this, Daniel!" he hissed once he had the other's begrudging attention, scowl and all. "I've gone along with this too long! We both know this has nothing to do with the ghosts, and more to do with the fact that you seem to enjoy isolating yourself until you explode and the whole build-up starts up yet again! I thought you would've grown out of this immaturity by now, but -"

"_Immaturity_?" Danny said disbelievingly. "_I'm_ not the one with a thirty year old grudge! _I'm_ not the one who _always_ has to have his way! Why do you think I'm here, Vlad? Because you _always_ have to get what you want or else you throw a tantrum!"

"Daniel, _I'm_ not the one who manages to have a breakdown in front of our son and makes him think he has to protect us from some ghost from his dreams, now!"

Danny was silent. He stared at Vlad, the gears in his mind turning as realization slowly dawned on him. His eyes narrowed. "Why does he always talk to _you_? Why are the only things he ever tells _me_ things that I don't want to hear? _You_ never do _anything_ wrong in his eyes!" he spat.

Of course. Dan had told Vlad about what happened in the training room. But in Danny's defense, it wasn't like it was a regular occurrence! He was simply very stressed out at the moment, and the thermos incident coupled with Dan's way-too-revealing dream had just triggered a perfectly logical reaction. Right?

Vlad startled at the unmistakable jealousy and resentment in Danny's voice. It did little besides annoying the billionaire, however. "What? Now you're going to blame me for what our son willingly chooses to tell me? For thoughts I personally have no control over? You should be happy that Dan even talks to you about those kinds of things! Knowing his _mother_, it won't be long before he starts bottling everything up as well -"

"Vlad, I don't _want_ him to tell me about his... nightmares. I listen because I _am_ his mother, but do you have any idea how hard it is to ignore -" Danny cut himself off, groaning in frustration before turning his back again.

Vlad sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "The least you could do is be a little more sympathetic and -"

"And do what? He wants me to tell him what his dreams mean! I'm not stupid, I see that! But what do I tell him, huh? That he was a _mistake_ that some sadistic ghost of time created? Tell him that what he sees _is _real? Tell him that it's all Mommy's fault he can't ever be normal because he cheated -"

"_Stop it!_" Vlad snapped, eyes flashing red for a second. "I will not let you belittle yourself or speak like that about our son!"

"What do I _do_, then?" Danny retorted, voice breaking as he felt the weight of the world that he'd been supporting finally come down on top of him. His mind flooded with pessimistic thoughts of his son, innocently asleep and probably being thrust into yet another nightmare flashback. And all the while, he was completely _powerless_ to rid the child of any of it. "After all, _you're_ the wonderful parent! _You're_ the selfless one! I'm just the immature mother who can't raise his own son right!" he said, inadvertently reiterating his mother's and Vlad's own words, albeit in an overly exaggerated manner.

Danny shook his head and laughed humorlessly, almost a scoff. "Next thing I know, you people will tell me that you didn't want me to move because it'd be best for Dan – that it was because it's a terrible idea to have _me_ raise him without someone who can do it better!" he screamed, a sob wracking his body without his consent at the end of the tirade. He felt ridiculous and humiliated, a grown man _crying_ and breaking down like he was. How could he ever raise his son like this?

As Danny's self-reproaching thoughts manifested themselves into emotional release, Vlad couldn't help but be extremely taken aback. His blue eyes were wide as he tried to think of the best way to react to the turn of events. All the while, he tried to ignore the painful pang that was building up in his chest at the sight of the broken man in front of him.

"Daniel..." Vlad called out the other's name, a grief-stricken look on his face. He gingerly touched Danny's shoulder, but his hand was quickly thrown off.

"Don't touch me!" Danny snapped.

Vlad frowned, torn between scolding Danny for never doing anything before his emotions got the better of him, and comforting him in his moment of vulnerability the likes of which he hadn't shown since Dan was a baby. Danny was a strong person, Vlad knew that, but ever since Dan... but that was understandable. Yet Vlad still couldn't comprehend the extent to which it often got, such as the current episode. Or more like he couldn't understand _why_, when the hybrid refused to disclose so many details of the other timeline.

The man had never gotten over it. Vlad had always known that, though most of the time he was under the impression that Danny was at least dealing with it better than he was in actuality. Apparently, however, the reality was that he'd simply refused to talk about it and buried it – though not deep enough for it not to affect him so profoundly. And it only seemed to grow worse as time slowly passed.

As Dan got older, Vlad realized, it would only get harder still for Danny to deal with all the complications that transferred over from the rather... unique mixture of ectoplasmic energies. Not to mention the rebellious state that was sure to come, where Danny would be thinking God only knew what whenever Dan acted up. Which, unfortunately, already happened enough to be worrisome.

Oh, cinnamon rolls, why hadn't he been more perceptive to how all this was building up in his mate?

And although Vlad was certainly not a man to feel guilty over what he knew was best in the end, he couldn't help but feel a slight of the emotion for having pulled the strings that got Danny to move in. Perhaps it had affected the younger hybrid more than he had expected – and from the sounds of it, the move on his part might just have made things worse.

Sighing deeply, Vlad decided that he'd have to settle for comforting the man. Danny's distraught state wouldn't let him rest until he did something to remedy the situation, judging from the pain he was feeling somewhere in his core.

And so, ignoring the objections that were sure to come, Vlad once again turned Danny around to face him and wrapped his arms tightly around his frame, laying his chin gently on his shoulder. As expected, Danny froze, but as soon as he heard the first words of protest coming from his mouth, Vlad firmly dismissed him.

"Shut up," he said in a definitive tone.

The billionaire accessed that part of his ghost side whose sole instinctive goal was to please and comfort his mate, eyes changing from blue to magenta in the process. Immediately, Danny became less tense, his laments fading into shaky breaths and sniffles. In his vulnerable state, Danny had little will to fight the exchange. If he had been thinking clearly, he would've been quite surprised by the fact that the billionaire did not take advantage of the situation like he normally would have. Instead, he simply held the younger man in his arms as he continued to calm him. After a short pause, he pulled away enough to look Danny in the eyes.

"Daniel, six years ago, we both agreed we would raise Dan without any hindrances involving that timeline because we both agreed that _it was irrelevant_. I don't know where your conviction went, but if you don't get it back, then I can't do everything by myself. You _are_ a wonderful mother – everything which I don't posses, _you_ posses, after all. I'm sure you've realized this by now. Dan needs you around, and if you can't be wholly there for him, then _that_ will be a mistake you will forever regret," Vlad said, his breath hot on Danny's face as the younger male simply stood entranced and scarlet-eyed staring back at the billionaire.

"Talk to anyone about this, and I assure you they will gladly and rightfully disprove all your negative thoughts, starting with me. Dan is never going to find out, nor are you ever going to have to deal with any of what happened – or _didn't_ happen – anywhere besides your own psyche, which you most certainly _don't_ have any actual need of doing. Now, I don't know where all this self-consciousness and self-blame came from, but you're going to get rid of it for _all_ of our sakes, Daniel. There's no need for it."

As Vlad let his mating charms fade away, Danny continued taking deep breaths while remaining perfectly still. After a while of the two simply standing there, Danny finally phased out of Vlad's grip. He didn't look at Vlad, but instead stared vacantly at the wall.

"I'm going to Tucker's," he said tonelessly, grabbing his jacket and heading towards the door.

"It's past midnight," Vlad replied.

"He's got a project for the company. He'll be up."

When his hand finally reached the doorknob, he hesitated. He slowly turned around to look directly at Vlad. The billionaire stared right back into Danny's troublingly lifeless eyes. The younger half-ghost opened his mouth to say something, but whatever he was going to say never came out. Danny simply closed his mouth, sighing and leaving without another look behind him. His eyes as he left the house, however, finally lost their uncharacteristic dullness. Because at this point, his pride wouldn't allow him to thank Vlad, but in his thoughts he was free to reflect on the older man's words. And although some very important things slipped completely past his stubborn mind, some did stick to him.

_I have to try harder..._

* * *

**End notes:** So who thinks Vlad is right about Danny having to never deal with the timeline again, and Dan never finding out? Who thinks he's terribly, terribly mistaken? Who thinks this whole situation has messed Danny up something awful? Hehe.

If you didn't catch onto it yet, when Dan got sucked into the thermos last chapter, he had sort of a flashback of a similar incident. A residual memory, if you will. So it's not only the constant "nightmares." If he's in a situation like any that *ahem* a certain psychopathic ghost was once in that stood out, unwilling memories might flood in. Yup, it's pretty complicated. It's _that_ part of him that's really got Dark Phantom's essence, which comes out in unpleasant ways. And the particular nightmare last chapter was also a residual memory, taking place just a teensy little bit before the prologue (as in hours, maybe a day tops), if any of you had also not figured that out.

Sigh. Anyways, this chapter was pretty hard to write with all the excitement of being home for the week-long break. It took a while, but I somehow got it done. And I realize just _how much easier_ it is to have a couple chapters already written ahead of the one you've just posted. It just makes things seem like they go by much more smoothly, and of course it makes updates faster... for some reason. Anyways, hope you guys had a good Thanksgiving! Care to review, my wonderful readers? I worked on a holiday for you guys, after all, haha.


	9. It's Been a While

**Notes:** Ugh. So difficult to write up a story living in the party dorm of a party school. And I've got finals starting tomorrow, so I figured I should probably post this before I'm completely swamped with studying and final projects. Finals end Thursday, which also happens to be the day I leave for winter break. Which means no internet for a month, save for the rare visit to a friend's internet-equipped house or to a Taco Bell with wi-fi. So I'll try my best to have chapter nine up within the next two weeks, and maybe a oneshot or two, if I'm lucky to get that much writing done.

Anyways! So here's where we skip ahead a few months. Dan is now seven years old and in first grade.

Oh, and those of you wondering what Dan's ghost name would be and when he'd pick it? You'll like this chapter. Although I think his ghost name should've been obvious. *cough* Also, from now on, Phoebe will be referred to as Box Lunch (at long last, yes?). I've debated on what I should do about Dan, but I've decided he'll be referred to by his given first name in narrative. Only certain characters will call him by his ghost name, after all.

Also, OC warning starting in this chapter. Hopefully I didn't do too terrible a job? Though because of her we do get to see a couple familiar faces around, heh.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own _The Dark Knight_.

* * *

**Chapter Eight - It's Been a While**

Danny sighed in exasperation, running a hand through his hair and refusing to lock eyes with his gothic friend. This was what he hated about her – the fact that she'd never _ask_ him if it was okay to do something with his son. Even knowing she'd at least asked Vlad would be a relief!

"Sam, he's seven! Why would you let him watch a PG-13 movie? PG implies that there's supposed to be a _parent or guardian_ present! Instead, you go ahead and let him watch some movie where a guy goes on a homicidal killing streak!" he snapped through gritted teeth.

There was something about superhero movies that made Danny nervous, at least when it came to Dan. He didn't like the boy watching them. Top it off with a superhero movie that contained too much violence for his taste, blurred morals, and a psychopath in make-up as the main villain, and Danny was _not_ happy with Sam. Yes, he'd seen the movie before, which was the reason why he hadn't even brought it up with the overexcited child when he'd inexplicably begun to get into Batman. He hadn't discouraged it because Dan didn't really have many interests that a child his age should have, but now he couldn't help but regret it.

Vlad, too, was glaring at the woman. Even though he silently thought that Danny was overreacting as he always did, he still didn't like the boy spending so much time with the gothic girl, who despite having entered the professional world and matured still had the look – and attitude – of a rebellious teenager about her. He knew that Dan was mature enough to handle the movie, but in the back of his mind, he was afraid that it might trigger another week ridden with bad nightmares.

Sam, however, seemed oblivious to the ire emanating from the two half-ghosts, instead rolling her eyes and ruffling Dan's hair next to her. "Oh, relax, it's not like he's traumatized by much, anyways. Ain't that right, kid?"

The boy nodded enthusiastically, a wide grin lighting up his face. "The movie was _awesome_, Mom! And Aunt Sam gave me this shirt!" he said, pointing to the shirt he wore of a rather macabre-looking dark cabaret artist which made both Vlad and Danny wince, though for different reasons. "Oh, and guess what? Mom, guess what?"

Dan's mother sighed dejectedly, a resigned look on his face, before looking up at him. "What is it, Dan?"

"I know what my ghost name is, now!"

That caught both Danny and Vlad's attention, and Sam didn't bother to hide her smug smile.

"See? He was inspired by it! There's absolutely nothing wrong with that," she said.

The billionaire ignored her, ecstatic at what his son had told them. "You picked your ghost alias, son? Well, go on, what is it?" he asked enthusiastically.

Dan quickly jumped into his explanation. "I wanted to be Dark Knight, but then that would be dumb 'cause it would be stealing. So then I thought of what my name should be and I want it to be," he paused dramatically and looked at everyone gathered in the room for a second, "Dark!"

The boy could never have expected the reactions that followed. His mother's glass of water crashed loudly to the kitchen floor, Vlad's smile melded into an emotionless look save for his slightly dropped jaw, and Sam looked like she'd swallowed something very unpleasant. Dan's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and he quickly decided he needed to further justify his choice.

"It's... it's the important part of the name. 'Cause Batman's the good guy, 'kay? But people don't like him sometimes and he's always hiding who he is. And he's not actually a hero, just like Dad says is okay. He's a... a 'silent protector.' So Batman's kind of like half-ghosts!" Dan felt his good mood falter at seeing the look of fear on his mother's face. "Mom?"

Danny sent Vlad and Sam a look which Dan couldn't read before he stood up and leaned against the sink with his back turned to them. Vlad tactfully decided to turn Dan's attention away from Danny and take the reins. "_Lapushka_, don't you think you've chosen too quickly? I'm sure there's much more suitable names for your ghost persona."

The child's eyes narrowed. "You said that _I'm_ the only one who can say anything about my ghost name! You said it was something personal and mine!"

The man frowned. "Yes, but -"

"But my name's Dark, now! I've thought about it and... well, it just feels right! Like it's been my name all along." Apparently it was the wrong thing for Dan to say, though, because his mother made a strange noise and his knuckles readily turned white from the iron grip he had on the sink.

Vlad looked worriedly at Danny before studying Dan in front of him. After a few seconds, he swallowed and said in a quiet, gentle voice, "Well, I for one think it's a great name."

It was like a bomb had been set off when the younger man turned to look at him, eyes blazing a dangerous red and feeling painfully betrayed.

"You son of a bitch! I _knew_ it! I _knew_ it was a mistake letting you be involved!"

"DANNY!" Sam scolded as Dan's eyes widened at his mom's language and rage. The woman shook her head with equally wide eyes.

"Why must you always overreact? It's just a name, Daniel! _You're_ the one who's obviously still got this notion in your head that he's something he's not!" Vlad spat at him, his voice escalating with every word.

"Come on, Dan. I'm taking you to the park," Sam said in a rush, standing up and unexpectedly grabbing Dan's hand to pull him away from the building fray. It was suddenly as if the two parents had forgotten there were others present, including their seven year old son.

"I wouldn't have to worry if you weren't a lousy, corrupt father!"

"ENOUGH! I will _not_ allow you to continue with your paranoid, depreciative ideals in my home! I _know_ who my son is, Daniel!"

"IT'S NOT YOUR -"

The door shut behind Dan and Sam, blocking out any further noise. Dan was wide-eyed as he stumbled down the hall, still being dragged by the hand. He could almost feel the rage emanating from his mother's friend. He looked down at the ground as he walked, a firm frown on his face as confusion overtook him over the events in the kitchen. The two strolled in silence down the sidewalk and eventually made it to a nearby park, void of anyone given how late it was.

"Why don't you go on the swings, kid? Come on, I'll push you."

Dan looked at her for a moment before sighing and making his way to the swing set. He didn't particularly like swinging, but the redundant motions of going backwards and forwards were somewhat soothing to the boy. He'd never understood how humans could compare it to flying, though, since the two were _nothing_ alike. Still, he climbed onto a swing and his Aunt Sam grabbed the chains back before letting go, pushing him as he came back towards her.

They went on in silence like this for a while before Dan spoke up as he was coming back towards Sam, slowing down and kicking more softly so he could speak. "Aunt Sam? What's wrong with the name I picked?"

Sam frowned, pushing him gently before waiting for him to come back. "I guess... there's nothing _wrong_ with your name, per se. I kind of... I think I like it, really. I mean... it suits you. It really does. But your mom..."

Dan went up again, then down as Sam continued. "I think she just thinks it's a bit... well, I don't want to say 'dark' because that would be redundant, but it sounds a bit like you're not one of the good guys."

Dan braked his swinging and remained stationary so he could look at Sam. "But what about Batman?" he asked with a frown.

Sam sighed and sat on the swing next to him, crossing her legs and resting her elbow on her knee, chin in hand. "Hey, I'm not the one who has a problem with the name here. I'm sure Danny will come around eventually. Don't worry."

"Good. 'Cause I'm not changing it. I like it too much."

A smile twitched at Sam's lips. "I know you do."

"...Aunt Sam?"

"Hm?"

"Why were Mom and Dad talking about me like that?"

The woman tensed. "What do you mean?"

Dan locked suspicious blue eyes with her own nervous amethyst ones. "In the kitchen, when they said all those things... they were talking about me, yeah?"

"No, they weren't talking about you."

The boy cocked his head to the side in disbelief.

"What were they talking about, then? Why did Mom get like that?"

"O-oh! Well, they... I mean..."

Sam was saved from her stuttering when something grabbed Dan invisibly from behind mere seconds after his ghost sense had left him. In pure self-defense, the child sent a blast behind him and from the point of impact came a pained squeal. He jumped off the swing and stared at the ghost he'd hit.

"Hey, that hurt!" Phoebe cried, her eyes narrowed at Dan. "And what's _she_ doing here?" she asked, pointing at Sam.

"_She_ has a name, you know! Don't make me suck you into the thermos! You're lucky I'm not doing it right now, you little garden-destroyer!" Sam spat and Dan fell into a laughing fit. After settling down, he began to tug insistently on Sam's skirt, giving her an expectant look. She bit her lip and looked closely around the empty park before nodding her head. A second later, bright blue-white rings replaced the human boy with a small ghost, a mischievous look on his seafoam green-skinned face.

Phoebe stuck her tongue out at Sam, crying out in surprise as she was quickly tackled in the air by the other young ghost. They fell to the floor and Phoebe went intangible, emerging from the ground and taking off through the air where Dan was quick to chase after her.

"You're slow today, Dan!"

"Am not!" Dan's eyes narrowed as he took aim and hit her square in the back with an ectoblast. "And I'm not Dan anymore!"

Phoebe came to a painful halt on the ground as she barely avoided collision with a tree. Dan threw a blast at a spot a couple inches from her, enjoying the frightened squeal it earned him. He phased inside the tree and emerged near the top, perching himself on top of a branch and looking down at her with a satisfied smirk. Phoebe rubbed her aching head and looked up with a confused look on her face. "Huh?"

Dan smiled smugly. "That's right! I have my own ghost name and you don't! You have to call me Dark, now!"

Sam winced. "Dan..."

Dan looked at her expectantly, but after a pause she simply let out a breath and shook her head. "Don't tackle Phoebe so hard."

Dan looked confused at the odd command. At the same time, Phoebe was staring at her playmate in awe. "You picked a name already?" she asked incredulously. She herself couldn't come up with anything that felt right enough, though her parents had told her she had a long time to choose. But... but she didn't want to be left behind! If her best friend had a new alias, she had to have one too!

"I guess I'm just better than you, huh? That's why I have a name already, and I'm only seven!" the boy said with a grin.

Phoebe frowned. A look of concentration adorned her face before she suddenly yelled, "FINE, THEN! I'LL HAVE A GHOST NAME TOO!" Sam and Dan had to cover their ears at the shrill pitch of the girl's voice. She held a look of both anger and concentration for some time before she smiled and said, in a soft and sweet tone, "My name is Box Lunch, now!"

Sam snickered. "That's a nice name."

Dan rolled his eyes, recognizing the sarcasm while the other ghost didn't. "She's lying, Phoebe! It's a stupid name!"

"If I have to call _you_ Dark now, then you have to call _me_ Box Lunch!"

"What, you _want_ me to call you by that dumb name?"

"It's not dumb!"

"It's just your parents names put together, stupid!"

"Dan, be nice," Sam called out from her spot on the swings. Though she knew the child wouldn't listen to her, she still felt obligated to say something.

Phoebe - or now officially Box Lunch - grit her teeth and unexpectedly bombarded the boy with cereal boxes procured seemingly from nowhere. He gasped as he was pelted with the dozens of boxes, emerging from the pile with his small but sharp teeth bared. "I'm gonna get you, Phoebe!"

"IT'S BOX LUNCH!"

Sam sighed and simply watched the two go at it with gusto, having already seen the spectacle before. She wondered if she should call Danny and tell him Dan was fighting with the ghost girl, but decided against it once she remember how long the two older half-ghosts could go on with their arguments. Besides, how much damage could the two seven year olds really cause?

A loud creaking sound pulled Sam away from her thoughts, and she turned her attention to a slide at the other end of the playground just before it suddenly collapsed under the weight of several pounds of canned soup. A rather disoriented Dan and Box Lunch phased out from under the wreckage before laying eyes on each other again, both blinking stars out of their eyes. After a pause, Dan sent an ectoblast at the girl, who dodged and flew away with the other child hot on her tail.

"HEY, YOU TWO! THAT'S PROPERTY DAMAGE!" the woman screamed at the frolicking ghosts. She sighed, deciding she'd at least send a text message to Danny. Just in case.

* * *

Dan sat on the cement playground, leaning against the chain link fence that theoretically kept him inside school grounds throughout the day. He was glaring at his shoes, contemplating what he often did during recess.

He hated school, and he didn't understand how this was everyone's favorite part of the day. It was just forty-five minutes of doing nothing productive and, for him at least, sitting all alone wishing he could do something fun like fly or ride Nightmare (against the Fright Knight's will, but that was part of what made it fun).

His lapis lazuli eyes watched the other kids bounce around playing hop-scotch, hitting tetherballs around a pole, and kicking soccer balls. Scowling, he wondered how they could all seem so happy with their friends and their boring human games. Why couldn't _he_ have fun too? ...Not that he _wanted_ to play their stupid games! No, he just wanted to have something better to do at school than his usual sitting around or boring assignments.

Being in first grade, Dan was starting to feel the sting of friendlessness. It was like the other kids just _knew_ there was something different about him. He doubted even _they_ were aware of where the wary glances they shot him came from. His less than friendly disposition probably didn't help, but in his defense the other kids hadn't exactly gone out of their way to be nice to him since he'd started school. It was strange, how naive kids could be while still being so cruel.

Dan was usually teased about everything under the sun. Even his hair, which he was particularly proud of, black and slightly wavy at a length which caressed his shoulders now. He brought a lock of it down to his eyes, playing with it and scowling as he remembered how adamant his mother was about cutting it. But it just felt natural to have long hair! And it wasn't even long enough to put into a ponytail like his father, so what was the problem? Why was there even such a thing as things considered acceptable and normal in the first place?

Oh, but it was just another thing the kids in his class judged him by. He could read the kids like open books; he knew they perceived him as weak because he was short, skinny, and he never said much. As time went on, he began to understand his parents' precautions with their ghost halves... which he supposed would be considered unnatural. But he still didn't understand _why_ humans were like that! He wasn't weak! In fact, he was so much stronger than all of them combined! But that didn't matter, did it? All that mattered was keeping their stupid secret because they'd be hated and hunted otherwise.

And then he'd discovered there were even more secrets he had to keep! It wasn't just calling his mother "Dad" and his father "Uncle Vlad" now, but he'd had to justify himself to the teasing kids when they asked about his "mother" at the school's open house. Amity Park wasn't a big town, and the usual mentality wasn't very big, either. He'd had to listen to his "dad" lie to the teacher about being divorced, and when they'd gotten home his father had been upset that he hadn't been able to come meet his teacher. Why did they have to hide so much? He knew his father couldn't come because they had to keep up appearances - for some reason, nobody was supposed to really know that Danny and Vlad lived together, although he'd heard his parents talking about how some newspaper or magazine or something had gotten a hold of the situation, since his dad was famous. He wasn't completely sure what "gay" was, but apparently that's what his parents were and it was a bad thing that somebody had told everyone.

Suddenly, a soccer ball distracted him from his musings in the form of a straight hit to the face. His eyes watered from the impact and he tasted blood in his mouth, realizing his lip had split open. Holding his nose and mouth, he glared at the ball then at the kids who had been playing with it.

"Hey, Danielle, throw us back our ball!" yelled that boy who always teased him about his hair, calling him by the girl equivalent of his name like he always did. Dan's eyes further narrowed and he grabbed the ball from the ground with one hand, still holding his mouth. Using just enough ectoplasm in his palm to inconspicuously heat up the ball, he squeezed with the added heat until the thing popped. Standing up and wiping the blood from his mouth on his sleeve, he threw the tattered ball back at them.

"Oops, _sorry_. But at least you have your ball back, yeah?"

The three boys stared at him with their mouths open, before the teasing boy narrowed his eyes in anger. 'I'm telling the teacher!"

"That was my ball!" another boy exclaimed in indignation as he stalked over to Dan. He pushed the half-ghost, and Dan tensed as his back hit the chain-link fence. He wasn't yet any good at hand-to-hand combat, and getting physically pushed around by the other kids made him feel both anxious and vulnerable, even though he should have felt the opposite. He couldn't defend himself because he knew any attempts would end badly; he couldn't fully control his own strength yet, and he couldn't be sure if he would leave the other boy whole because or create an accidental ectoblast. He wished he could fight! He wanted to hurt the other kids so _badly_, sometimes... But he knew it would give him away, and it only left him with a feeling of helplessness. Still, Dan narrowed his eyes in warning.

"Back off," he snarled, and the kid holding him against the fence snorted.

"Or you'll do what?"

Dan was shaking with rage at this point but he simply swallowed his anger, slipping easily and swiftly under the kid's arms and wiping at his still-bleeding lip. He began to walk away at a swift pace, but he managed to hear the three boys laughing behind him.

"He's so _weird_," one of them said.

"He's scared of us!" another laughed.

Dan whipped around and glared pointedly at them, his eyes accidentally flashing red for a brief second. However brief it had been, though, it was long enough to make the other boys gasp.

"Monster!" the kid who kept teasing him about his hair cried, backing away. One of the boys ran towards the open classroom door in fear.

Dan's eyes widened in surprise when he realized what his eyes had just done, and his face further fell at hearing the word.

_Monster..._

"Hey, leave him alone! I saw you hit him with the ball! You never even said sorry, you big bully!" came a voice behind the boys, and a dark-skinned girl with olive eyes came stomping over to them. Dan simply stared at her. "You heard me! I'm telling the teacher and you're gonna get in trouble!"

The two remaining boys, already freaked out by Dan's eyes, quickly left the scene at the fiery girl's prompting. Dan continued to stare, tensing when he saw the girl approaching him. Despite his wariness, however, she simply smiled at him.

"Um, I..." he stuttered intelligently.

"Don't worry, just stick with me and they won't bug you 'cause boys can't hit girls and I can kick their butt if I wanted to!" she said very quickly. Dan blinked at the speed of her words.

"Uh..." he trailed off. "Why are you talking to me?" he couldn't help but ask.

The girl giggled. "I like ghosts, silly. And I can tell you're not a bad ghost. And you always look lonely. My name's Jenna, by the way."

Dan backed away a couple steps, his eyes wide and his mouth suddenly dry. "Y-you...! How...?" He swallowed hard. Then he frowned, stalking towards her and becoming further confused at her lack of fear. "Why are you saying I'm a ghost?"

Jenna blinked at him in innocent confusion. "Isn't that why your eyes turned red?"

"My eyes didn't turn red!" Dan tried to deny.

"It's okay, I know some ghosts are good! My Aunt Dani's a ghost, too, and her eyes turn green when she gets mad or when she turns into a ghost. She's got really neat hair when she's a ghost, and she takes me flying sometimes, it feels so cool! Your lip is bleeding, by the way. Do you want to go tell the teacher so she can give you a Band-Aid?"

Dan shook his head, utterly bewildered by everything that was suddenly being thrown at him. "Your aunt is a _ghost_?" he asked in shock. "Wait, your aunt's name is Dani? But that's a boy name! That's my mom's name and he's - I mean my dad's! I mean, he's not a - I'm not..."

Jenna simply giggled at his incoherent stutters. "It's okay, you don't have to tell me anything yet. I'll tell you first, 'kay? Don't be scared."

Dan frowned. "I'm not scared!"

"Good, 'cause I'm not scary, right? My aunt's real name is Danielle, but everyone calls her Dani. We just moved here from Chicago with my mom. I've only been here two days, though, but I really like it here! Even though the kids aren't very nice, sometimes. There's so many ghosts always around here, but they're really mean! You're not mean though, right? 'Cause you're human, too, like Aunt Dani! Oh, you never told me your name!"

Dan, his head spinning, decided that he'd be better off just sitting down against the chain-link fence. He looked around nervously before motioning for her to sit down as well, and she took a seat in front of him Indian-style. He studied her for a good while as all she did was smile sweetly at him, but upon not feeling suspicious or wary of her, he managed to relax a little.

"I'm - I'm Dan. But... since you know about ghosts... do you wanna call me Dark?"

"Dark? Is that your ghost name?" she questioned, cocking her head to the side, and he nodded after a moment's hesitation. "Oh! My aunt has a ghost name, too! It's -"

"You know about half-ghosts?" he interrupted in a hushed voice, hoping to learn more but not wanting her to get into another tangent. She talked _so much_!

Jenna nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! My mom says there's two half-ghosts in the whole world! But I guess there three, now, 'cause you're one, too! One of the half-ghosts is good - that's my Aunt Dani. She was cloned, but I'm not supposed to know that. Do you know what cloned means? 'Cause I don't."

Dan stared at her in bemusement. Jenna's mom said there were only two half-ghosts? But that didn't make any sense! He'd never heard of this Danielle person. Wouldn't his parents have told him if there was a fourth person like them? "Who's the other half-ghost?" he asked guardedly, ignoring her clone question and tactfully avoiding revealing anything before he knew just how much he should really trust this girl. His father had taught him to never trust anyone blindly, and this sounded especially risky. After all, this girl had pinned him as a half-ghost just by seeing his eyes flash!

Jenna frowned. "He's a bad ghost. My aunt's scared of him, and my mom doesn't like him. His name's Plami - Plasim - Pla -"

"PLASMIUS!" Dan yelled, his eyes wide. "But he's not a bad ghost!" he blurted out before he could stop himself.

"How do you know?" the dark girl asked, both curious and defensive at having his mother's words questioned.

"I - I just know!" the half-ghost argued. Did his dad know that someone else knew who he was? Should he let him know this strange girl knew? This was making him terribly nervous. "Why does your mom say Plasmius is a bad ghost?"

"I dunno. I think he did something bad to her. She says she started ghost hunting because of him."

Dan shuddered. "Your mom's a ghost hunter?" He didn't know how he felt about the idea. After all, his grandparents were one thing, but strange ghost hunters who just happened to hate his dad were a whole other matter.

"Yeah, but she's nice! She's never hurt Aunt Dani!"

That didn't take away Dan's nervousness, so he decided to change the subject. "What's your aunt's ghost name, anyways?"

"Dani Phantom!"

Dan started and his eyes narrowed. "No, she's not! She's copying Danny Phantom's name!"

"You mean Danny Phantom who lives here, right?"

"Yeah!" he yelled defensively, but Jenna smiled despite his irritation.

"He's my aunt's cousin!"

Dan cocked his head in confusion. "Huh? How?"

"She was cloned from him. That ghost, Plasum... uh, cloned her from him. But I'm not supposed to know so don't tell my mom! My mom says Danny Phantom's kind of good because he helped Aunt Dani a long time ago, and Aunt Dani says he's good."

Dan stared at his shoes as his head reeled. Why hadn't anybody told him any of this? Did that mean him and Jenna were related since this other half-ghost was her aunt, and her aunt was his mom's cousin? He pouted in confusion and anxiety at the situation. He was going to have a lot of questions for his parents when he got home. That reminded him... "Um, Jenna, you can't tell anyone about me, okay? Or anything we talked about. Not even your parents, yeah?" he told the girl and couldn't keep a slightly threatening note out of his voice, though Jenna didn't notice and instead gave him yet another innocent smile.

"It's okay, I'm really good at keeping secrets! I'm not supposed to tell anyone about Aunt Dani or half-ghosts either, but I trust you 'cause you seem nice. But you can't tell anyone anything I've told you either, okay?"

Dan hesitated for a second. If he told his dad that this girl knew about his half-ghost status, then she might tell other people about his own. Maybe even her ghost-hunting mother, and then he would be in big trouble. He'd been well-advised by both his parents to always keep his secret for their own safety, but this girl had found out all on her own! But perhaps now that they had a trade-off...

"I won't tell anyone if you won't," he assured her.

Jenna grinned. "Good! Hey, wanna come over to my house after school ends? You can meet my aunt and my mom! They always like my friends!"

He started at the sudden invitation. He didn't exactly like the idea of meeting this other half-ghost, though. It was only supposed to be he and his parents who were half-ghosts, after all. He didn't want to meet this other lady. Besides, she'd said that her mom was a ghost hunter, and - wait, had she just called him her _friend_ just now? She... she really had!

Dan's eyes sparkled brightly, and he couldn't hold back a grin.

"What if we go to my house? It's bigger and maybe my da - Uncle Vlad can show you some of the cool ghost stuff he's got! He's got a bunch of books that _glow_! And maybe we can go flying, too! We can play and I can be in my ghost form since you already know I'm half-ghost!" he said enthusiastically, his voice escalating into further excitement as he went on, and he laughed out of pure glee. He had a friend! At school! Who he could be himself around! Well, for the most part.

Jenna joined him in giggling joyfully. "That sounds _so cool_! But I have to call my mom and ask."

"Yeah, I have to ask, too."

"Let's go use the phone in the classroom! Come on, Dark!"

_Dark_. It sounded so natural coming from her, from his _friend_. He grinned more widely and followed after her, making a race out of it. Jenna ran as fast as she could as she tried to catch up with him. Once they made it to the classroom, they enthusiastically asked the teacher to use the phone.

Dan went first. His father picked up, and the young half-ghost could've sworn he had heard the man give a very undignified giggle after he'd asked to bring a friend over. The word had slipped so easily from his tongue. _Friend_. He'd immediately gotten permission after his dad said something about calling his mother and ordering a fancy cake.

When it was Jenna's turn to call, however, her mother was much more cautious about it.

"Should I tell her your name in class or your other name?" the girl asked.

"Dan Fenton," he quickly told her. Jenna answered her mother, and he heard the person on the phone say something before she turned to him again.

"She wants to know what your parents' names are," Jenna said.

Dan frowned, knowing he couldn't tell her the truth, so instead he told her his well-rehearsed background story. "My dad's Danny Fenton. My mom's Sam Manson but she doesn't live with me," the lie fell easily from his lips.

Jenna repeated the information. He heard the muffled voice on the phone again before Jenna smiled widely, saying her goodbyes before hanging up.

"She said yes! Come on, we still have time before recess ends!" she exclaimed, grabbing his wrist and pulling him behind her. Dan couldn't stop grinning the whole time.

* * *

She was furious. When she'd heard her daughter had made friends with a Fenton, Danny Fenton and Sam Manson's son to be exact, she'd felt happy and had immediately trusted that Jenna would be safe going home with the boy. She'd known them both, after all, and while she hadn't really gotten along with the gothic girl, she'd been good friends with Danny and had even had a budding romance with him before her job had gotten in the way.

Even though a long ten years had passed since she'd moved away from Amity Park, she'd still felt like she could trust Danny. Especially after she'd found out he was a single dad. She could empathize, after all; she'd been a teen mom and she'd always been alone in raising Jenna. At least until she'd met up with a certain friend again.

But all of that didn't matter right now. What mattered was that she'd been given an address to pick Jenna up at to which she was recklessly flying towards on her jet sled, and it was an awfully familiar address.

It was the address of Vlad Masters.

Valerie grit her teeth and picked up speed, the wind making her eyes water as she squinted against it.

Dani had refused to come with her once she'd found out where Jenna had spent the afternoon. The nervous look on her face had said it all about her lingering fear of the man. Though she was stable now, she still had memories of her pseudo-father and the power he held.

The half-ghost woman had been living with Valerie since she was sixteen. It was pure coincidence that they'd met up while she was living in Chicago. The girl had been traveling the United States trying to avoid trouble and get stronger while evading any ghosts - a certain billionaire in particular. She'd been homeless and hurt after a run-in with an especially violent specter when she'd tried to visit Danny Phantom in Amity Park, and Valerie had naturally taken her in. It had all grown from there, and the two had become very close over time. Dani was like the younger sister she never knew she had, and the help she'd had with Jenna was something she'd never be able to repay.

After hearing about the rise in ghosts in Amity Park, Dani and Valerie had saved up to move there from Chicago, a plan in mind to start their own ghost-hunting business to compete with the Fentons. After all, Valerie had drastically improved the weapons originally given to her by Vlad, and Dani had her own built right in. They knew they'd have no problem kicking off.

It had been especially nice to find out that Vlad was no longer mayor, and all she'd found in the newspapers were a bunch of rumors about the billionaire living with a man much younger than him that had been on-going for a while now. Nothing of importance, and nothing suspicious. Just mildly nauseating. She'd felt relatively safe moving her small family to her old hometown. But... but now Jenna was at that sick man's house! Oh, when she met that boy and Danny again, all hell was going to break loose!

"Damn it, Danny! What the heck is your son doing at Vlad's house?" she asked herself as she approached the nicer side of town, slowing down and beginning her descent.

She landed on the perfectly manicured lawn and retracted her jet sled into her shoes. Just as she'd begun stalking over to the front door, the automatic fence moved aside to allow a conspicuously middle-class car into the driveway. Instead of going into the garage, however, the car stopped in the middle of the driveway, and a man stepped out.

"Valerie?" he asked after a short pause, surprise etched all over his face.

She blinked, having expected it but still unprepared to see her old high school friend. She then remembered where she was, however, and why she felt so livid. Her eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here, Danny?" she snapped at him.

Taken aback by her hostility and less-than-warm reception, he looked at her in confusion. "I live here," he deadpanned.

Valerie's eyes widened as she made the connection between the magazine articles she'd read and the fact that Danny had just confessed to living in Vlad's manor. She also remembered that Jenna had mentioned the boy from her class didn't live with his mom, Danny's old high school sweetheart when she'd moved away during their senior year. Valerie's face screwed up in disgust, and out of habit she reached for one of the ecto-guns in her belt.

"_You're_ the younger man sleeping with Vlad Masters?" she asked, giving him an angry and incredulous look.

Danny winced at hearing the sentence worded just as the tabloids had done since they'd gotten wind of Vlad's living situation. He suddenly felt just as livid as Valerie looked. "Whoa, put that thing down and _back up_! You leave for ten years and then suddenly show up on my doorstep, pulling a gun on me and accusing me of sleeping with a fifty year old man! I've got half a mind to call the cops, Valerie!"

Valerie took a deep breath, attempting to calm down when she realized she'd just randomly drawn a gun on the man in his own home, and she tucked the weapon back into her belt. She shuddered internally at the thought of Danny living here. Then she remembered why she'd come in the first place. "Is your son named Dan?"

"Yes," Danny said slowly, leaning against the car.

"Well, he invited my daughter over after school today. I _thought_ this boy would be living with you, but I was obviously wrong. I would never have agreed to let my daughter come over if I would've known she would be in the same house as Vlad Masters! I don't trust that creep!"

"Valerie -"

"Wait!" she interrupted before he could begin. "If you're not home, then who's watching Dan and Jenna?"

"Alright, BACK UP!" Danny demanded. "Are you saying your daughter's here right now? With my son?"

She gave him a withering glance. "Weren't you listening just now? How can you _not_ know?"

"Well, I'm sorry, but I have a little thing called _work_ I have to go to! Vlad usually watches Dan during the day. But let's back up again. You're seriously saying Dan's got a friend over right now?"

"I already said Jenna was over here like three times!"

The raven-haired man didn't say anything, but face-splitting grin suddenly appeared on his face. "He actually made a friend..." he mumbled to himself and Valerie gave him an odd look.

"As I was saying. Just _why_ are you living with Vlad Masters? Last I checked, you hated him!"

Danny gave her an incredulous look. "Valerie, you've been gone ten _years_! Do you know how much can change over the course of ten years?"

"I obviously do, Danny, since both me and Sam were apparently teen moms!"

"How do you know Sam is Dan's mother?"

"I had Jenna ask when I heard Dan's last name was Fenton. I wanted to know who's house she was going over to. Though I _obviously_ didn't ask enough questions. Now, you didn't answer my last one. Just what could've possibly changed for you to be raising your son while living with some billionaire creep?"

"Enough, Valerie!" Danny snapped. "You have absolutely no right to start criticizing my life when you don't even know me! I don't have to justify myself to you when you have no idea the things I've had to go through!"

Valerie was silent, her lips drawing into a thin line. "Fine. I'll just take my daughter and go, then. If I can't trust you, then I obviously can't trust that boy of yours to let him hang around her."

Danny's face fell at her words, though Valerie didn't see because she was already making her way to the front door.

"Valerie, wait!" Danny called out and the woman turned around, giving him an expectant look. He hesitated for a second longer before sighing in defeat.

"There's nothing going on between Vlad and I, okay? It's just... when I was seventeen, I went through some stuff. Obviously with Dan. And Vlad ended up being a big part in it. He's been... really supportive. I mean, I'm still not too fond of the guy, but... Look, your daughter's in no danger while she's here, alright? Vlad's surprisingly great with kids. Dan loves him, and Vlad absolutely _adores_ Dan. And he... he's a better father figure than me, sometimes," he admitted with a dejected sigh, avoiding her piercing gaze. Valerie frowned. "You've no idea how much of a relief it is to have some extra help with Dan. Even if I'm not exactly a fan of the person providing the help."

Valerie's face softened. "Actually, I do. I'm a single parent, too. But I live with this woman, Danielle Donahue. She's like a sister to me, and she's Jenna's everything," she said with fondness in her voice.

Danny smiled at her. "She sounds great."

"I'm sorry for coming to your house just to yell at you, Danny," she apologized with sincerity. "What an impression to make after ten years, huh?" She laughed and Danny joined in after a pause.

"Hey, at least you're not the one who's got the gay rumors about them in every other tabloid in the country."

"Man, that's gotta reek," she said, still laughing.

Before Danny could respond, the front door was banged open by a troubled-looking Vlad.

"Daniel, you're finally home! We've got a situation with - Hello, there!" Vlad immediately adopted a cheerful and relaxed demeanor once he layed eyes on the woman, unmistakable in her huntress uniform that remained largely unchanged after all this time. "Ms. Gray! It has been so long! How has Chicago treated you? I hear you've opened up a ghost-hunting business?"

Valerie visibly tensed, though her lips still curved up into a soft smile. After years of being around Vlad too much for his liking, even Danny could see that her smile was just as fake as Vlad's at the moment. "Hello, Mr. Masters! Yeah, I decided that the ghosts were ripe for some new business back in Amity." Her face hardened slightly as she continued. "But I'm actually here to pick up my daughter, Jenna."

Vlad nodded. "Yes, of course, let me just call her and Dan down!"

The man headed back inside, shooting Danny a meaningful glance over his shoulder. The younger man frowned in worry, wondering just what could have Vlad so frazzled. After about a minute of Valerie fuming on the doorstep and Danny staring awkwardly at the ground, Dan and a girl he'd never seen before appeared, though unaccompanied by Vlad.

Danny lost all awkwardness when he caught sight of the wide grin that adorned his son's face as he laughed with the girl.

"Mommy!" Jenna exclaimed.

"Hi, sweetheart! Did you... have fun? Was everything okay while you were here?" the woman said.

Jenna and Dan shared a glance that Danny had shared countless times with his own friends back when their ghost hunting was a secret. The raven-haired man's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"It was _great_, Mom! Dan's house is so cool!" she said enthusiastically.

Valerie felt all the tension ease off her shoulders at hearing her daughter's happy tone, and she turned to the boy with a soft smile. "And you must be Dan."

"Yeah..." he said, uncharacteristically shy. Danny understood why at his next question, though. "Are you the ghost hunter?"

"Yes, I am. Do you want to see some of the stuff I use to keep the bad ghosts away?" she asked, mistaking his shyness for reserved curiosity.

"That's okay," the boy responded with a wary look, taking the woman by surprise. That was the exact same look she often saw on Dani's face whenever she invented a particularly dangerous weapon. Dan and Danny couldn't know about Plasmius and still be willing to live with him, could they?

She quickly dismissed the ridiculous thought as Dan walked over to Danny and wrapped his arms around his legs. "Are you tired, Dan?" the man asked, patting the boy's head.

"Mmhm," the boy hummed, giving Jenna a look when she giggled.

"I'm not tired at all!" she said.

"That's 'cause I did everything and you just sat there and watched!" Dan replied, voice muffled by Danny's clothes.

"What did you two do?" Valerie asked with a smile, and her daughter giggled again.

"It's a secret, Mom!"

She chuckled. "Yes, well, maybe you can tell me all about it when we get home. It's time to go now."

She ignored her daughter's pout, smiling at her old friend in a much softer way than before. "It was really nice seeing you again, Danny. You know, once we got over everything."

"_We_?" he asked with a good-mannered smirk.

"Alright, alright, I'm a 'shoot first, ask questions never' type of person. But seriously. Let's keep in touch. And maybe your son can come over to Jenna's some time, hm? Maybe you and him could have dinner with us?" she said, taking a card and a pen out of her suit. She wrote something on the paper before handing it over to Danny. The man looked down at it and realized it had a business number on it, along with another number underneath. He raised an eyebrow.

"I'd call the handwritten number, if I were you," she said coquettishly, making Danny suddenly feel hotter than he should have on a February afternoon.

And with a wink, Valerie tapped her heels together, adjusting her daughter on the red jet sled as they both flew off into the distance, Jenna waving goodbye the whole time.

* * *

**End Notes: **I feel like this chapter could've gone better. *shrug* Ah, well.

Alright, now's when it becomes important to keep in mind that this is after "D-Stabilized." Dani clearly had to change her last name, so I just went with Donahue. No reason, really.

Danny obviously covered up his feelings about Vlad when he was talking to Valerie. A lot. I mean, how well could it possibly go over to tell her he was living with a guy he hated more often than not? Still, you never know how much of what he said was subconsciously sincere, ehh? *grin*


	10. Into the Storm

**Notes:** Sorry for the wait! It was harder to get somewhere with internet than I thought, and it was also pretty hard to focus enough on this chapter to add the extra scene I wanted and to revise it, what with winter break and all. Plus my hypersomnia's been terrible lately. *grumbles, yawns* I'm sitting outside of my old middle school now, using their wi-fi and paranoid that a cop will pull up and yell at me for loitering. Or that I'll get mugged once someone sees me with a laptop – no, this isn't the rich part of town. Also, I didn't have much time to to the obsessive editing I usually do because I just wanted to get this up already, so do excuse any mistakes in this chapter.

The last chapter was a bit too long, and this chapter was a bit too short, and it all followed the same timeline so I decided to stick the last scene of chapter seven in here. And, really, it still fits in pretty well.

Dan alternates between using "Phoebe" and "Box Lunch." Using someone's ghost name is a sign of respect or acknowledgment, which Dan obviously doesn't have much of for Box Lunch. Box Lunch also alternates between Dan's names, but that's just because she finds it a sign of affection to call him by his human name.

* * *

**Chapter Nine - Into the Storm**

"We are not killing anyone, Vlad!"

"How can you possibly suggest we ignore the fact that the girl knows so much, Daniel? You could be putting our whole family in danger!"

"It's not 'our family,' Vlad, it's _my_ son who just happens to share your DNA!"

"How _dare _you!"

"Then don't start suggesting that the only solution to this is to kill my friend!"

"Oh, please! Until today you hadn't even spoken to her in over ten years, you immature little rat!"

Dan blinked at the colorful words his mother used in retaliation to his dad's last insult. The boy had his ear against the door, invisible, and was trying to breathe as quietly as he could. It would be much easier and more comfortable to eavesdrop in his ghost form, but his parents could always sense when he was nearby. So, as always in these situations, he was currently just Dan instead of Dark. He was only curious, after all.

He knew his parents were fighting about his new friend, and he was anxious to know what they were going to do now that someone knew about half-ghosts – or at least about himself being half-ghost. His father had very subtly gotten most of the answers he had wanted out of Jenna once he'd seen Dan parading around in his ghost form in front of her. He'd distracted her from his true intentions by showing the girl a wide collection of supernatural contraptions while simultaneously asking her an array of questions. Dan, for some reason having felt guilty about bringing the human girl over to his house, had just looked on nervously. The boy still hadn't told his dad that Jenna knew about Plasmius, and what he'd heard so far wasn't exactly encouraging. Perhaps he'd just keep the silent pact he and Jenna had made at recess earlier for a little while longer. Just to be safe.

Dan's thoughts drifted back to the situation at hand when he heard the unmistakable sound of an exploding ectoblast inside the room where his parents were arguing.

"How the hell can you care so much about Dan making a _friend_ who also happens to know about his ghost half, but you don't give a damn about the rumors circulating about his 'dad?' Rumors which I don't think I need to remind you, you haven't exactly fought hard to keep off the front page!"

"Because those articles don't have the potential to out us to the entire planet after years of rightful secrecy! One thing is petty tabloids and another is the safety of our entire existence!" The man paused before continuing in a much calmer voice, with an undertone of something Dan didn't recognize. "The beauty of our ghost halves, my little badger, is that when it comes to our _mate_, our instincts override even human concerns and self-consciousness. I really don't see how you have the ability to care so much about such a little thing. It's a bit vain, if you ask me."

"I couldn't care less what they say about us, Vlad! The kids at school giving Dan a hard time's more important than people thinking we're gay! ...Wait! I-I mean, I care about that _too_, but I care more about – I don't – i-it's not like I – we're not – IF YOU DON'T STOP WITH THAT SHIT-EATING GRIN, I'LL BLAST IT OFF, PLASMIUS!"

"Well, maybe you shouldn't be blushing like that. It takes away from your credibility, Daniel."

Dan paid no heed to the blast that followed, frowning in confusion and unsure of what his parents were talking about, though he knew since his father had mentioned mates that it probably involved his dad trying to get his mom to love him back once again. The boy knew his mother actually _did_ have feelings for his father – it was more than obvious, and he could tell from the way his mom's eyes glowed in his father's presence – but he doubted his mother would ever get past his stubbornness. It got annoying, really, but as long as he was living with both his parents together, he knew they'd eventually work things out. It _was_ what his father wanted, after all, and his father _always_ got what he wanted.

"Daniel, why won't you just admit that things would be so much less complicated if you would only give in to something that's supposed to be natural?" his dad said in a harsh tone that made Dan flinch.

"Oh, shut up! We are _not_ talking about this! It's always the same damn thing, the same argument over and over and over again! Why won't you just get it through your head that _I don't want you_?"

"Because it's not about what you _want_, Daniel, it's about what your ghost side _needs_!"

"Damn it, Vlad, I'm sick of going through this every day! Just give it a break already! As if it wasn't enough with the whole alternate -"

His mother abruptly cut himself off and a long, thick silence followed. Dan felt an unpleasant prickling in the back of his mind. What were they talking about? For some reason, Dan was now itching to know more. It was like he _had_ to know more...

"...Fine. We'll leave the Jenna issue alone," his father began again, startling Dan out of his thoughts. Why had his dad conceded so quickly if he didn't agree? He _never_ did that. And what's more, his parents hadn't even been talking about that anymore! "But it's still much too risky, Daniel. The least we can do is keep Dan from interacting with her. It's better to take _some_ preventive measures, after all. I'm sure I can assure that they keep their distance, if I just -"

"No!" the young hybrid accidentally blurted out. He tensed upon hearing the voices beyond the door grow quiet. Thinking quickly, Dan looked around the hallway and quickly dashed towards the empty guest bedroom across the hall. Before he could make it, however, he was suddenly lifted into the air with a squeal of surprise, losing his invisibility in the process. He nervously looked up only to be met with his mother's stern green eyes staring down at him. Dan felt himself shrink beneath his gaze.

"You were eavesdropping again," Danny said. It was not a question.

Dan swallowed, but suddenly finding his courage again, he narrowed his eyes in defiance.

"I-I don't want you to take my friend away! I won't let you!" he cried, beginning to struggle in his mom's grip.

Danny sighed, giving Vlad a weary look. "Nobody's taking your friend away, Dan. In fact... I'm going to go ahead and call Valerie tomorrow to set up dinner together this week," he said as he lowered the boy to the floor. "But in the meantime, you're grounded for spying."

The boy's jaw dropped in surprise. "But that's not fair!"

"Actually, Dan, I think it's fair," Vlad cut in with an out-of-place smirk. "Obviously, that means you won't be seeing Jenna outside of school, son."

"NO! He can see Jenna! But there'll be no trip to the Ghost Zone this week," a red-eyed Danny snapped in that creepy, dismissive baritone of his that he often used when he was _really_ mad, though in this case it was clearly meant to tell Vlad that he wasn't getting his way this time. That tone always reminded Dan of the voice in his nightmares, so he'd learned not to argue when he encountered it. Dan pouted when he realized his trip to the Ghost Zone was not up for discussion... yet.

Vlad glared at the white-haired ghost, and Danny glared right back before phasing through the floor. The billionaire's scowl fell and he shook his head. Suddenly feeling Dan's both nervous and angry gaze on him, he looked down at his son and smiled.

"Come, _lapushka_. It seems as if we could both use a training session to help unwind. Don't worry, I'll talk to your mother later."

* * *

Valerie put down her cup of coffee on the expensive coaster set before her.

"And that was pretty much the last straw before Danielle and I started making plans to move back here. You know the rest of that story."

Danny tapped his finger against his own cup and leaned in closer to her across the eat-in kitchen's table. "Well, despite the circumstances, _I'm_ glad you're back in town," he told her, giving her a smile that Vlad would wish he had never inadvertently taught him through his pushy flirtations.

"Oh, I'm glad to be back... and around a familiar face," she retorted with lidded eyes.

"And back as the Red Huntress of all things. I've gotta say, Vlad's old design doesn't hold a candle to your new one."

The woman didn't respond for a second, trying to choose between feeling flattered from the compliment and bristling from the unwelcome thoughts of a certain billionaire. "Oh, they were just a couple of adjustments," she said modestly before her eyes narrowed briefly. "But I still can't believe Vlad told anyone about the Red Huntress. I mean, I understand there's a certain trust between you two, but I would've thought confidentiality meant more to that man, even after I left Amity."

_Especially considering he's got his own dirty little secrets_, she thought crossly.

"Hey, _I_ didn't tell anyone, did I?" Danny defended himself jokingly, trying to keep the conversation light as a certain angry glint appeared in the woman's eyes. He couldn't help but be both curious and wary of her animosity towards Vlad. She had obviously tried to hide it, but she hadn't done the best job at it.

Yes, he vaguely remembered that the Red Huntress had suddenly dropped off the radar during their junior year, only to reappear months later before Valerie moved away half-way through their senior year. And he also vaguely remembered one or two incidents involving mentions of Vlad that had inflamed the dark-skinned teen. Danny knew why Vlad had been so nervous when he'd seen Valerie again; Jenna knew Dan's secret, and that was nerve-wracking in and of itself. But he didn't seem aware of any negative feelings coming from the ghost huntress. Just what was going on between those two?

"I would hope so," she said, cutting off his thoughts. She purposely decided to change the subject, not oblivious to his fallen and tentative expression. "But now it's your turn to tell me about yourself. So is there anyone special in your life?"

Danny took a second to get the meaning behind her silky words, before a smile tugged insistently at the corners of his mouth that eventually turned into a full-on grin. "Not right now. I haven't gotten around to finding the right person yet, with Dan and everything. He _hates_ it when I date," he said, mumbling the last part, more to himself than anything, in a slightly bitter tone. "And then there's Vlad..."

Valerie's eyes narrowed in suspicion, barely having managed to catch the last words from how quietly they had been said. "What_ about _Vlad?"

The man winced once he realized his mistake. Through his one bit of honesty about his son, he had accidentally also let slip a small detail about Vlad. "H-He's just a little, uh, overprotective."

The woman glared, an almost jealous gleam in her eyes. "Well, why would be be overprotective? You have to realize that it sounds awfully strange, Danny! After he -"

"Because of what happened with Sam!" Danny blurted out, mentally bracing himself for the bout of lies he was about to cook up. Good thing he already had this particular story well-rehearsed, so there was little chance of ever getting caught in his fabrications... though that didn't make them any less unpleasant to divulge.

Still, his words seemed to put the huntress at ease, and her posture relaxed as her visage softened once again. "After she dumped Dan on you, you mean?"

"She didn't 'dump Dan on me!'" he snapped defensively, pausing to take a calming breath. "Look, I don't really like to talk about it, but it was _my_ decision to keep Dan. In spite of everything, Sam's still my best friend, Val."

Valerie blinked, growing more and more confused by the situation. But it obviously _had_ to be complicated, right? Who ever heard of the father ever taking full responsibility for their child at eighteen? Much less taking full custody of them with the mother being perfectly capable. She knew Danny was a good guy, but this was ridiculous!

She sighed internally. Then again, who had ever heard of a single mother taking in a homeless half-ghost teenager, providing for her, and protecting her from another psychotic half-ghost billionaire? She was nobody to try and pry into Danny's life – her own life was probably as complicated as it got!

The woman smiled softly at him, then. She lay her hand on the table next to his own as it approached his coffee cup. His hand twitched as it brushed against her own warm one, but he didn't move it, and Valerie couldn't help but revel in the barely visible but nevertheless present blush on the grown man's face. "I'm sorry, Danny. That was a terrible thing to say. I think it's really sweet that -"

A barrage of noise sounding a lot like ecto-gun shots suddenly reverberated a couple of floors above them, startling them both. These were much louder than the thumps Danny had excused earlier, which he knew had been coming from Dan playing one of his ghost games using ectoplasm.

"What was that?" the huntress questioned, getting up from her chair and oblivious to the frustrated look that appeared on the man's face.

"Nothing! Just the kids playing again!" he tried to excuse them, though he himself was slightly worried at the unfamiliar – and frankly dangerous-sounding racket.

Valerie stared at him rather incredulously. "_Nothing_? Can't you hear that? Danny, maybe it's a gh-"

"I _said_ it's _nothing_!" the man almost snapped. Danny swallowed hard, trying to keep his face nonchalant and mirthful. "Trust me, Valerie, everything's fine. Dan loves making all kinds of noise, and you should see some of these weird toys that Vlad buys him. That's nothing I haven't heard before, I wouldn't worry about it. And if we're talking _tw_okids up there..." he chuckled as he trailed off, and Valerie smiled reluctantly at first but later joined him in laughing along.

Meanwhile, Danny inconspicuously focused on creating an invisible clone. The new doppelganger, once in existence, silently floated through the ceiling to search out the source of the commotion.

* * *

Dan was pleasantly surprised at how quickly his punishment had been lifted, most likely because of one of his dad's guilt-trips aimed at his mother. Not two days after his he was caught eavesdropping on his parents, he was now playing with Jenna in his room after having gone over to her house for the afternoon.

It had been... interesting, to say the least. He'd met Jenna's Aunt Dani when he'd gone to her house, since his mom hadn't been able to pick him up due to a teachers' meeting and his dad was away on business. The other half-ghost lady was... nice. Dan didn't really have much to say about her. She hadn't struck any of the unpleasant sensations he'd been expecting, which were usually present with most other ghosts he met as if there was a set of preconceived knowledge about them in his mind.

Dani had seemed to know his mom quite well, actually. They treated each other as if they were long-lost siblings. Upon meeting him, she'd even winked at the man and briefly flashed her eyes green, which had frankly surprised the child. Her eyes looked exactly like his mom's! Just when he'd begun warming up to her, however, she'd had to leave because of a ghost alert. Apparently, Jenna's house also doubled as the Red Huntress' Ghost Hunting Co. headquarters.

Although, Jenna's mom was a completely different story. She was nice and all, but she gave Dan an unpleasant and wary feeling in the back of his mind. He didn't like her, but he wasn't sure why. Maybe it was the way she seemed to act around his mom; something akin to his mother's usual girlfriends, but much more subtle. Oh, but Dan would be sure to deal with her before things got that far.

All in all, it had been a great day for Dan. Not only had he gotten to hang out with Jenna and meet another half-ghost, but he would still get to go to the Ghost Zone today!

Currently, he was floating upside-down a few inches above the ground, his flaming white hair tickling the carpet every now and then. Jenna hadn't been the least bit wary when he'd suggested the game they were playing, and he was glad. Perhaps some humans were still tolerable, then.

They were currently playing one of Dan's favorite games of ecto-catch, albeit with a few modifications, given that Jenna couldn't fly or handle extremely hot things. He waited while Jenna knelt down and blew on the ball of green ectoplasm, which dimmed its glow as it cooled. Touching it with her sleeve-covered hand and satisfied it wouldn't melt her shoe, she backed away from it and ran to kick it full-force. The ball shot towards the wall at the other side of the room, bouncing off of it and back to the carpet, where it once again did a series of pirouettes while Dan went after it. Nothing was burned, since his parents had long ago decided to ghost-proof his room.

Jenna giggled when Dan was knocked backwards by the speeding ectoplasm before he was able to catch it. Pouting, he grabbed it in his hands and began to charge the dimming ball.

"Did you see Aunt Dani's eyes flash, Dark? Did you? It's cool, huh? But you didn't see her hair. It's so soft, maybe someday you can both do ghost stuff together, huh?" Jenna said as she waited for Dan to finish.

Dan shrugged as he watched the ball grow slightly in size, then waited for it to cool a little again. "She's cool. She was really nice."

Jenna nodded, intently watching the brightly growing makeshift toy. "Hey, Dark, your dad really likes my mom!"

The half-ghost was caught off guard by her words, and hesitated before throwing the ball to the girl. "Uh-huh. I guess," he said skeptically. In reality, Dan was a bit angry because his mom and Valerie seemed to be getting quite cozy. Dan knew she was an old friend from high school, but his mother was _his_. Well, his and his dad's, of course. But still, it was an unhappy compromise as he played with Jenna, knowing his mom and Jenna's mom were both downstairs together. The looks that Valerie had been shooting his mother made him dislike the woman even more than he already did. She was just like all of his mom's other girlfriends, and he truly hated them! But then there was Jenna...

Jenna kicked the ball around the room again, and Dan was able to catch it this time despite his reverie. "It'd be cool if they got married, huh?" she spoke up again. "Then we could be brother and sister and live in the same house! And I could always play with your uncle's ghost stuff and you could always play with Aunt Dani!"

Dan immediately stuck out his forked tongue in distaste. "Yuck! My dad's not supposed to get married!" he cried scathingly before throwing the ball towards the wall across the room with a bit more force than necessary.

The girl cocked her head to the side as she waited for the ball to slow down before attempting to catch it. "Why not? I kind of want to have a dad, don't you want to have a mom?"

Dan shook his head frantically. "Nu-uh! I have my dad and my Uncle Vlad. I don't need a new mom."

"Oh." She blinked, surprised at his vehemence. She ran to collect the ball as it slowed a couple feet away from her. "Is it because of your real mom? My mom said she was friends with both your parents when she was in school. I don't know my daddy, but my mom says I don't need to. But she said that your mom's nice!"

The boy laughed nervously. "Oh, yeah. My... mom. Yeah, she's nice. I've... I've got her, too!"

Jenna looked at him quizzically. Before she could respond, however, Dan exhaled a red mist through his nose. The dark girl gasped. "Cool!"

"No! _Not_ cool!" the young half-ghost said with narrowed eyes as realization hit him.

Dan was tackled to the floor before he could throw up a shield of any sort, a surprised Jenna squeaking in surprise.

"DAN!"

Dan struggled in Box Lunch's grip where she currently had him pinned to the floor. He had to resist the urge to blast her. He didn't want to scare Jenna, after all, even if she claimed she often saw ghost fights because of her mom's work. "My name's Dark, you dumb ghost! Get off me!" he growled while flailing his legs. He tried going intangible, but nothing worked. She was worse than Klemper!

"Hey! Leave him alone!"

Box Lunch started at the unexpected voice, allowing Dan to free himself and flee to the other end of the room with an annoyed pout on his face. Box Lunch's eyes narrowed.

"Who are _you_?"

Jenna challenged the ghost's glare right back. Dan was honestly surprised at her unfaltering audacity to challenge a ghost like that. "I'm Dark's best friend!" the girl exclaimed with conviction.

Box Lunch's eyes widened. "DARK'S BEST FRIEND?" she screamed in a hysterical pitch and bared her teeth, her red eyes glowing intensely.

The human girl stomped right up to the ghost. "Yeah! Dark's best friend!" she snapped. Dan blinked and cocked his head to the side in confusion at the anger he could sense radiating from both girls. Box Lunch he could understand, but _Jenna_? He certainly hadn't seen this side of her since he'd met her, though he hadn't known her for too long either way.

"_I'M_ HIS BEST FRIEND, YOU MATE-STEALER!"

"Ew! I've told you I'm not your mate, Box Lunch!"

"You stay out of this!" they both screamed at him and the boy had to cover his ears, giving both of them in turn bewildered looks.

"Beware, human, for I have powers that will make you tremble! Now _get away from my Dan_!" the ghost girl screeched as she conjured up several boxes around her.

"Not in my room, Phoebe!" Dan exclaimed and flew towards Box Lunch, but before he could get anywhere, Jenna ran past him and landed a flying kick at the ghost. All the boxes dropped to the ground as the ghost girl lost her focus. Jenna landed in a clumsy fighting stance after stumbling a couple times, and all Dan could do was look on with his jaw dropped. Had... had the girl's mother taught her that?

"Dark and I are playing, now go away, ghost!"

Box Lunch rose from the ground with a newfound fire in her eyes, and the two other seven year olds tensed.

"YOU WILL PAY! FACE MY PRE-PACKAGED DOOM!"

"Not the -"

Dan was abruptly cut off as, sure enough, numerous food items began to phase into the room from every direction. They covered the ghost girl until she was several feet taller, though rather outlandish in appearance. Thinking quickly, Dan pushed Jenna out of the way just as a giant soup-can fist came crashing down onto the carpet, making a downright mess. The half-ghost turned to look at her from where he lay shielding Jenna on the floor and bared his fangs.

"GET OUT OF MY ROOM, PHOEBE!" he yelled as he shot a green eye beam at the ghost, successfully knocking many of the food items off of her. He blinked stars out of his vision afterward, not yet practiced enough to use the attack efficiently.

This barely fazed the ghost girl, however, as she quickly shook off her discomfort from the blast and aimed three heavy soup cans at the dark-skinned girl.

"Move out of the way, Dark!"

The boy was easily tossed aside from where he floated in mid-air by Jenna, who'd procured one of her dolls out of her pocket... Though by the way it had suddenly transformed, it seemed that it was actually a weapon _disguised_ as a doll.

"And I thought _my_ parents were overprotective," Dan muttered to himself as Jenna aimed the doll at Box Lunch with its now uncovered pink glowing chest, obviously an anti-ghost ray of some sort.

Jenna's plan of attack quickly backfired, however, as the doll began to beep ominously. "Uh-oh," she muttered. "Dark, run!"

It was all the warning he had before the thing began to shoot pink beams erratically throughout the room. Beams which were conspicuously locked onto _any_ ectoplasmic signature in the area. Dan yelped as he was hit over and over again, throwing up a green shield which was barely strong enough to stay up against the barrage of attacks. His eyes watered from the slight burns the pink beams had inflicted.

Jenna was too startled to try and turn the doll off, and instead dropped it. She ran behind Dan's shield, closely followed by an equally scared Box Lunch. The three screamed as they were bombarded by seemingly endless pink blasts, Dan's forehead gathering sweat as he struggled to keep his shield up against attacks which were at almost the same power level as him. Both the girls clutched onto him, making it even harder to keep up his defense.

Just as his shield was about to give out, the doll was incinerated by a green ectoblast and the attack stopped. Dan let his shield die, and both girls peaked out from behind him in curiosity.

"What is going on here?" a wide-eyed Danny asked in a hushed voice, looking at the three of them in turn. Dan quickly flew over to him and began pulling on his cloak.

"Mom, girls are scary! They're _crazy_!" he whispered in his mother's ear.

Danny blinked, his puzzled gaze landing on the two girls. Box Lunch was glaring holes at Jenna, already having recovered from their brief scare. Jenna, in the meantime, was simply staring at Danny in awe.

"It's Danny Phantom!" she yelled, jumping up and down excitedly.

"Shh! Not so loud! There's a ghost hunter downstairs, you know. You're all lucky I could even make an excuse for all the noise!" Danny scolded, giving Dan a pointed look. The boy stared back at him before he sighed and floated down, morphing back to his human form and turning to glare at the wall. Danny ignored his pout, instead raising an eyebrow at the single full-ghost in the room. "Box Lunch, how did you get in?"

The ghost girl opened her mouth to respond but Jenna interrupted, beginning their verbal fight anew. Danny slapped a hand to his forehead and shook his head in frustration. "QUIET!" he boomed. From his tone, the two were quick to listen. "Now, _one at a time_. Box Lunch?"

Before she could even begin, a big metal ghost phased through the wall without warning, successfully startling everyone present.

"Where's Plasmius? We've got a situation," Skulker said, looking at everyone gathered in distaste, especially Danny. The youngest half-ghost, as always, was spared most of the ghost's displeasure.

Danny groaned and muttered to himself, "Why can't we ever get a security system that _works_ around here?"

Meanwhile, Dan's visage had transformed into one of pure glee and excitement. "Skulker!" Dan yelled happily, bounding towards the metallic ghost and hugging him around the middle. Skulker growled and kicked his leg out to try to dislodge the boy.

"Let go of me, whelp! I don't have time for this!"

"Are we going to the Ghost Zone, now? Are we?"

"No! That's why I'm here early!"

Danny frowned upon noticing Skulker's anxious tone. He ran a hand through his white hair, green eyes taking in Jenna's suddenly defensive look which she'd adopted after Plasmius was mentioned. "Your employer's not here right now, Skulker. Just give me a second, okay? Jenna, I think your mom's ready to go now."

Jenna and Dan had matching pouts then, Dan playing with the ammunition in Skulker's belt distractedly.

Danny motioned for Jenna to head downstairs. Her stance further deflated, a bit intimidated by the town hero she'd heard so much about, and she did as told. After she was out the door, Danny suddenly vanished, making it obvious that he had simply been a duplicate.

There was silence for a while between the two ghosts and half-ghost before Dan asked Skulker, "We're not going to the Ghost Zone?"

The metallic ghost looked down and noticed the boy looking up at him with wide puppy-dog eyes, and he couldn't help but sigh. "Down, pup." Surprisingly enough, Dan complied.

"So we're not going?" Dan questioned again in a sad voice. Box Lunch whined in disappointment next to him; she always enjoyed being with Dan at home, since he was more likely than not willing to play with her when they were there.

Skulker shook his head. "It's not safe there for you right now, pup."

"Why not? I can take care of myself!"

Skulker chuckled. "Not against the entirety of Walker's prisoners and ticked-off guards. At least you wouldn't dare try if you valued your afterlife."

"No, really! Look what I can do now!" the boy insisted, morphing into Dark and holding up a hand. He stuck out his forked tongue in concentration and conjured a good deal of green ectoplasm. After a while, the substance began to crackle with powerful electrical energy.

Box Lunch gasped. "Cool!"

As soon as she'd said it, the youngest half-ghost lost control of the electricity. He squeaked in surprise as the ectoplasm sparked and released, putting a nice hole through the allegedly ghost-proof wall. "Oops..."

Skulker didn't seem fazed by the mishap, however, and instead looked from the boy to the wall with a raised eyebrow. "How old are you, again?"

"I'm seven!"

"Impressive..."

Dan beamed at the compliment, his grin quickly being replaced with his tongue stuck out in disgust as Box Lunch hugged him tight. "Dark can do anything! He's gonna protect me when we become mates!"

Dan bared his fangs at her, but his mother phased into the room in his ghost form before he could sink his sharp teeth into Box Lunch like he'd so wanted to. Taking advantage of the distraction as he so often did, Dan threw her off of him and gravitated towards Skulker in a huff.

"Alright, all's taken care of and Vlad's on his way," Danny ventured to say, speaking in a neutral tone rather than the cocky one he would've used in his teenage years. Things had changes between Skulker and him since the whole thing with Dan and being Vlad's _alleged _mate, though he and the hunter were still on rocky terrain – apparently, eight years weren't enough for the mechanical ghost to get over losing his chance at the best prey he'd ever hunted.

Danny caught sight of the hole in the wall and immediately turned towards a sheepish Dan. Before he could ask about it, however, pink smoke engulfed the spot next to him and caused his eyes to water.

"Dad!" Dan grinned and flew to hug his father. Vlad smiled warmly at him, though he wore a weary look.

"Hello, _lapushka_," he greeted while ruffling Dan's flaming mane of hair. He spotted Box Lunch and raised an eyebrow, but instead of asking a question he knew the answer to, he sighed and shook his head. He turned to Skulker and Danny. "What is it that happened in the Ghost Zone, then?"

"Riot in Walker's prison," Skulker answered him.

"Again?"

"Worst one yet. Not a single ghost left in there. First time I've had to blast whooping and overexcited ghosts off my island like this... Actually, it's kind of starting to worry me. It's all too similar to Pariah's rule for comfort."

The two children were listening intently, along with a wide-eyed Danny. "Are they hurting each other like they did last year?" the green-eyed ghost asked.

Skulker nodded. "You're lucky you're Plasmius' mate and have the pup, Phantom, otherwise you'd have been long dead."

A smirk tugged at Vlad's lips. Danny's glaring eyes glowed red, about to argue against the mention of his being Vlad's mate, when he heard a sniffle. He turned his head to see a teary-eyed Box Lunch. "Are my parents gonna be okay?"

Danny's face softened and he knelt down next to her, while Dan simply ignored the girl as he floated between his father and Skulker in angry disappointment. Why was there always something happening in the Ghost Zone? And it just seemed to get worse and worse! What if at some point he couldn't go there ever again? It was so unfair!

"Of course they'll be okay, Box Lunch. They both have sort of a knack for keeping out of any real trouble. Especially your dad," his mother said softly. His son and his career as a teacher had turned him into a big softie when it came to kids - even ghosts. Though, it did tend to present difficulties when fighting Youngblood and the like; luckily, his parents took care of most of the ghost-fighting nowadays, and now Valerie and Dani would as well.

Skulker and Dan simultaneously rolled their eyes, neither being too fond of the little ghost girl to begin with. Vlad turned his attention away and addressed Skulker again. "Do you think any of it is going to affect us here?"

"Of course. Though I seriously doubt it'll happen right away. They've got enough chaos to cause in the Ghost Zone at the moment."

Vlad nodded and Danny stood up as Box Lunch settled down. The younger man gave a tired sigh, shooting Vlad a resentful glance. "Remember back when nothing really happened in the Ghost Zone? You know, before you messed around with the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep?"

Vlad's eyes narrowed. "So now you're implying that the Ghost Zone being turned on its axis is my fault?"

"I'm just saying, Vlad, nothing monumental ever happened before the whole 'Pariah's second coming caused by you' thing."

"That doesn't mean I'm responsible for everything in your life that's not to your liking, Daniel."

"But you've been responsible for most of it."

"Oh, come now. It's not my fault you're so paranoid. Or perhaps you'd like to blame that on me as well?"

"As a matter of fact -"

"I'll just go now," Skulker interrupted, quickly phasing through the wall. Dan heard him mutter something about humans and mates under his breath as he went. The boy sighed sadly.

"So we're really not going to the Ghost Zone today?"

Vlad frowned sympathetically at his son while Danny crossed his arms, glaring at the older man. "I'm afraid not, son," Vlad said. At seeing the boy looking dejectedly at the ground, Vlad lifted his chin up and grinned. "But I'll tell you what. How would you like to learn something new today?"

Dan's eyes sparkled with excitement and he grinned back, knowing his dad was talking about working on his powers. "Really? Like what?"

Vlad thought for a moment before smiling mischievously at him. "Ever heard of your mother's legendary Ghostly Wail?"

"WHAT?" Danny screeched, face suddenly pale.

Dan's face was the very opposite, however, shining with excitement and oblivious to his mother's distress at the suggestion. "That sounds so cool!"

"I'm not teaching him that!" Danny protested.

"That's fine, I planned on doing it myself, anyway," Vlad responded indifferently, straightening his cape. "Come, Dan."

"Wait! He doesn't need to know that! Vlad! VLAD!"

His objections went unheard, however, as father and son phased through the floor with the latter giggling gleefully. Danny was so distraught that he tried to go after them but forgot to go intangible, crashing head-first into the floor. He grunted in pain and eventually collapsed to the ground in defeat.

Danny rubbed his face with both hands, resting them against his mouth and with a panic-stricken look on his face. The man shut his eyes tightly, his face blank once when he opened them again. "Why can't I ever do this right?" he muttered to himself, his voice full of emotion contradicting his apathetic expression.

* * *

"DAMN IT!"

The warden's hand smashed onto the desk, rattling everything that was there. He aimed a blast at the wall, and in its erratic path, it incinerated a set of filing cabinets. Walker screamed in rage once again, blasting at everything in sight, though curiously avoiding the map on his desk.

Sirens were blaring in the background and the sounds raged of fighting, ectoblasts, and the whooping of escaped prisoners. At this point, Walker recognized that it was useless. There were way too many of them. Every single cell was empty, and almost all of his guards had been taken down. Walker had already ventured out there, but he'd quickly decided to go back to his office in order to protect his space and keep the ghosts away. The door was scorched and hanging off its hinges, but his office had more or less survived the rebelling ghosts. At least until Walker's temper had kicked in.

Walker was breathing heavily, an old habit from before his death that was useful to relieve stress in times like these. He blasted at the opposite side of the room one more time, just for good measure, before pressing the single button on the intercom - which had miraculously survived his temper tantrum.

"Anybody who wasn't stupid enough to get overpowered by a bunch of newborn ghosts, tell me what the situation is."

It was a few seconds of waiting where Walker felt himself on the brink of blasting the intercom as well before somebody finally responded.

_"Looks bad, Walker,"_ came Bullet's voice. _"We're down to less than twenty guards. Sorry to say that most of them left before they actually fought back."_

Walker grit his teeth in anger. "Well, what about the prisoners? Is there anyone still in their cell? Anybody left in the damn prison?" he snapped after pressing the intercom button with more force than necessary, successfully causing the button to become stuck.

_"A handful of ghosts who're tagging up the prison. We tried to get 'em, but more came to their aid. I'd say it ain't worth it anymore, Walker. Just let 'em go and we'll try to get things back together here."_

Walker glared at the speaker as if wanting nothing more than to cause it terrible agony. "You listen here, Bullet. I want every single prisoner that's left rounded up and put into cell block D! Every single one, you hear me? Report back here once they're caught," he spoke one last time before blasting the intercom to pieces.

In retrospect, it was a downright miracle that something like this hadn't happened sooner. Walker might've prided himself in the security of his prison, but he wasn't a fool. With the increase in the number of spirits inhabiting the Ghost Zone, there weren't even enough cells to keep them in anymore. Worst of all, the new ghosts didn't know how to respect him or his rules! Obviously, he couldn't ignore that or afford to focus on the numbers. The ghost numbers were going up at such a fast rate that the new ghosts were actually forming gangs and the like, making his job that much harder. It made Walker's blood boil. He'd had tried to keep order, to up the surveillance and sentences for delinquents, but by the little demonstration in the prison today it seemed to have all been in vain.

Walker had had a great past month with rounding up ghosts. He'd had a lot of fun with inflicting extra-harsh punishments during this time of crisis. Torturing the prisoners into submission had become more common, something he'd missed dearly... But they always seemed to get right back up! It made no sense! And now it was as if they were all at one big party, blasting at anything in the way to celebrate their freedom. It wasn't even particularly as a celebration of the prison break, but rather a genuine desire to cause as much chaos as possible.

The Wasteland was true to its name this particular day. The ghosts were taking advantage of their numbers and releasing all their pent-up energy, ransacking other ghosts' lairs and escaping into any portals they could find. It was a rampage.

Walker couldn't believe it. Nothing he'd tried had worked, and now he'd been officially overthrown. After all, there was obvious strength in numbers when it came to ghosts. It just wasn't normal, though! The ghosts that were being naturally created from stray energy, on top of being way too numerous, were at abnormal power levels! There should be no ghosts that powerful that hadn't either been born from ghost parents or been humans previously.

It was painfully obvious by now. By tomorrow's daybreak in the Real World, every ghost in the Ghost Zone would know that they were in the midst of a new era of energy upsets. By tomorrow afternoon, every specter with an ounce of brains in them would be fighting to oblivion over the most secure lairs and artifacts of their obsessions. He suspected the human world would receive the repercussion as well.

And just like so many other kingdoms and realms had been created during the Pariah era of energy upsets, including the Wasteland, who knew what would happen now? For all they knew, the Wasteland could have ceased to exist by this time next year. There was more than one reason as to why such few ghosts had survived Pariah's rule, after all... They were all doomed.

But he was a _ghost_, and maintaining this prison was _his_ obsession! And so help him if he wouldn't do something to preserve his rules.

Walker turned to glare at the Infi-Map with eyes glowing a violently bright toxic green.

"Useless piece of..." Walker trailed off, fisting his hands at his sides as he directed a hard gaze to the precious artifact. His eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Where are we now? The Ghost Zone's turned on its head and there's no one in sight. Not the Observants, not the Ancients, and certainly not Clockwork. You're their toy, though. Yet you've been sittin' there as useless as Phantom is playin' house right now to his little town."

He lowered his hands from where they had been pointing at the map, charged with ectoblasts. He floated close to the ground and circled the desk, scrutinizing the innocently glowing map. He scoffed when he spotted the area where the Observants' tribunal was, though of course it was not explicitly shown on the map. "Come on. I'd hate to incinerate such a priceless little trinket," he whispered to the map, staring it down threateningly as if convinced that it could read his deadly thoughts. "All we need is a little more power to get out of this thing, just like Pariah kept order back in the day. Power is the key. Where's Dark Phantom, hm? I know you've got him somewhere in there."

The Infi-Map continued to sit perfectly still, non-responsive as ever.

"Where's Clockwork's little game gone wrong?"

Still, Walker was deadly silent as if honestly expecting the object to answer him.

"Come on, I ain't gonna let myself get wasted. Where's my destiny, huh?

It was so shocking that Walker didn't react at first. In fact, it took him a good while to react at all. When what now lay in front of him didn't disappear, he was even more shocked.

It was a stable portal. And not just any stable portal, but a time portal akin to those meant for Clockwork and the Observants. But... what the hell was it doing in his office? He'd never heard of the Infi-Map doing that!

His thoughts abruptly drifted to the scene playing before him, not wanting to miss out. Walker was deadly still as he studied it. It was the Ghost Zone, though there was nothing there. It was the Wasteland, to be exact, and it was awfully quiet. No, he recognized that part of the Ghost Zone; it was the area right in front of his prison. He was so entranced with taking in every detail of the scene that he didn't hear the frantic yelling down the hall.

Then, he caught something on the portal scene. It sounded like... children laughing?

"How in the hell is that of any use to..."

He never finished his sentence, because the next thing he knew there was a young ghost bounding onto the scene. It was a boy, around ten years old from what Walker could see. But that wasn't what had Walker literally shaking with excitement. What had suddenly put him in such a state was the ghost's unmistakable appearance.

He could've cried, he really could've.

Walker was looking at Dark Dan Phantom, frolicking in the empty expanse of the Ghost Zone, just a portal dive away. But it wasn't just Dark Dan Phantom he was seeing – it was a younger him. In other words, a non-homicidal looking version of him.

_And just ripe for the picking,_ Walker thought gleefully as his mind began to process just what was happening, what the opportunity in front of him was.

"Dear Lord," he muttered to himself in awe. Shaking his head, he whispered, "What the Sam heck am I wasting time for?"

Before the warden could prepare himself to dive into the portal, however, the door to his office burst open.

"Walker, another..."

Bullet trailed off, looking from his ecstatic superior to the strange open portal that was mostly hidden from view by the warden's broad frame.

"...Did something happen? Because you certainly didn't sound as happy as you look last time we talked."

Walker's grin, if possible, widened. "Bullet! How would you like to be in charge of the prison for a while?"

Bullet raised an eyebrow and snorted. Yup, Walker had lost it, yet again. "Great time to dump this responsibility on me. How long are we talking?" he humored the ghost.

Walker chuckled happily before stepping aside to allow Bullet a full view of the newly-opened portal. "Don't know. How many years does that look like to you?"

Bullet's eyes widened. He was quiet, looking from Walker to the portal in disbelief as the child on the screen suddenly turned to stare right at them – or at least that was what it looked like as the child looked both warily and curiously in the direction that faced their own portal view, shielding his eyes from some unseen light. He'd heard the description many times before, so he certainly knew... but this was just _ridiculous_! An absurdly phenomenal stroke of luck. Certainly too good to be true – or at the very least too good not to be a suicidal plan.

"You can't be serious."

"Why would I joke about something like this, Bullet?" Walker laughed. "This is our chance, you idiot! And does that brat look like he can waste anything to you? Of course not! The perfect opportunity - hah! I told you this map would come in handy!"

Bullet shook his head frantically, crossing his arms vehemently. "Walker, you're risking creating an irreparable paradox! You could - God, Walker, the High Council will hang you! You don't even know what time you're jumping into! That could be decades from now, centuries even! That's probably not even in our timeline!"

"Oh, just shut up already! I got _this_ baby to show up, didn't I?" the warden said, gesturing confidently towards the portal. "What makes you think I can't get back with Dark Phantom and the Infi-Map in hand?"

"You were damn lucky that portal opened in the two years you've had that map and you know it. I've always gone with everything you've said, even if I don't agree with it half the time, but this is where I draw the line! This is simply -"

Bullet was abruptly cut off by a glowing hand being phased into his chest, right where his core lay and one wrong move away from wasting him. He froze in both shock and primal fear. The one-eyed ghost slowly looked up to meet the angry eyes of his superior, more livid than he'd ever seen the man before.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way, Bullet. I ain't gonna waste this - I'm going in that portal whether you like it or not. Now, you can either be a good lackey and watch over this prison 'til I get back - _because I __**will**_ _get back_," Walker assured with a deadly snarl, "or I can get rid of the sole witness to this little quest of mine, since you're so worried about the High Council. You have five seconds."

Bullet swallowed hard, feeling the heat of Walker's charged ectoplasm choking him and burning his core. He gasped as he felt Walker increase his energy. "FINE!" he wheezed in pain. To Bullet's further discomfort, Walker stayed in that position for a couple seconds longer before finally phasing his hand out. Bullet put a hand to his chest and couldn't hold back a pained groan.

"Good," Walker said pleasantly, grinning maniacally as if he hadn't just been about to kill the other ghost. He looked behind him and to the portal. "In that case, it looks like I have some business to take care of, don't it? I'll see you in a few years." He shot Bullet a dangerous, piercing glance before saying in a low voice, "And I know you'll take good care of my prison in the meantime, Bullet."

And chuckling darkly one last time, Walker grabbed the Infi-Map and dove head-first into the portal.

* * *

**End Notes:** Aaaand here ends Act Two! After all the Vlad and Danny in this one, I'm pretty excited to explore Dan a bit more, including his mild to moderate jerkiness as an older kid. Oh, you didn't expect Walker to just jump into the future and not have the story change time frames, didja? Oh, Walker certainly doesn't expect his little time jump to be in the _current_ timeline, though, nor in the very near future.

Also, I updated my profile with some upcoming plot bunnies and fics I'm working on – which, coincidentally enough, have been doing a good job in contributing to the building distractions for this particular story. That's about it, see y'all next chapter! And oh, what a chapter it shall be.


	11. Most Devious Plans

**Notes:** Yes, a oneshot and a chapter on the same day, no gap in between. Why? Because, combined, "Instinct" and its oneshot collection have over a hundred reviews! I honestly never expected that many reviews, which explains why I wasn't keeping track – I only noticed from glancing at the numbers. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed, put this on their story alerts, and favorited this! ^.^ You fill me with warm fuzzies and inspiration for further making Danny's life difficult and Dan's life way too complicated.

Also, I'm officially back in my internet-accessible dorm room! And I've never been happier to finish a chapter. I spent _way_ more time than I should've on this, but the bit at the end just killed me, for some reason. Oh, but the fun I've been having with writing Dan and the beginning of his awkward pre-teen years makes it worth it.

Let's see, three years is a long time. Things that have happened in the meantime (I might get lynched for these): Sam married Kwan the December after Dan turned ten, Jazz also got married when Dan was nine and is now six months pregnant, Tucker and Aria had a baby boy (Richard) when Dan was eight, and Danny and Valerie... well... *grin* All of the seemingly random pairing up I did will be explained in "The Little Things," by the way! They'll actually be three oneshots titled "Family Secrets" which I'm pretty excited about. :D

Lastly, I wanted to know something from you guys: Do y'all like the oneshots collection on top of this story? I love doing them, since they don't follow a specific continuous plot but they still let me explore random ideas that I get involving these characters and the circumstances... but I was wondering if anyone found it weird or annoying, given that they aren't really part of the current plot line at any given time but still sometimes important to the characters' development or motives in the main story.

Phew! Extra-long author's note DONE, this chapter is long enough as it is!

**Disclaimer:** Don't own _Saw III_.

* * *

**Chapter Ten – Most Devious Plans**

Ms. Riley's fourth grade class stood outside of Amity Park Elementary School in varying states of shock, along with the rest of the school. Among them were Dan and Jenna. The girl had her jaw dropped, a scared look on her face, while the boy simply tried to look bored but only succeeded in looking guilty, maybe even paranoid. In front of the building were an array of fire trucks and an ambulance, while a thin trace of black smoke billowed from one of the windows on the second floor.

Behind the fire trucks pulled up one of Vlad's inappropriately conspicuous sports convertibles. The fourth graders' parents had been called to pick their kids up, and since Vlad was the only one of Dan's parents who weren't busy at the moment, he was now striding over to the two fourth graders who stood a bit away from the rest of the group.

"What happened?" Dan's concerned father asked once he'd reached the two kids.

"Dark set the teacher on fire!" Jenna, scared and shaky with shock, blurted out before she could help it. Though it was more like she was confirming the fact to herself rather than answering Vlad for his own benefit.

"Not so loud and no I didn't!" Dan whispered harshly, looking frantically around. Thankfully, neither kids nor adults had heard the girl's outburst.

Vlad's eyes widened, and he leaned down closer before setting a firm hand down on Dan's shoulder. "What was that about setting the teacher on fire?"

Dan looked from his unhappy father to Jenna, who looked on the verge of tears. "It's nothing. She's a liar," he said, a bit too forcefully.

His father was quick to catch on, and he discreetly flashed red eyes at the boy in warning. His father rarely got angry – at least with him – and he was kind of intimidating right now, to say the least. "...It was an accident," he mumbled, looking down at the ground.

Vlad stood stock-still for a moment before standing up to his full height. He put both hands on Dan's shoulders and directed him to a spot further away from any curious onlookers. "How?" he asked in a firm tone. The ten year old avoided his gaze, looking towards the parking lot instead. "Dan, I asked you a question," Vlad said, more forcefully this time.

"...Just a little ectoblast. I was aiming for the desk but I kinda... missed," he confessed, tittering sheepishly and finally looking up at his father.

Vlad's eyes flashed red again, though without his consent this time. "Stay here," he commanded, pursing his lips and looking around until he spotted the ambulance which he rightly assumed currently held Ms. Riley. As he walked away, Dan was left standing all by himself until Jenna came over.

"I'm so sorry, Dark! I didn't mean to tell on you!" she cried.

Dan didn't look at her or respond, instead staring down at his shoes with a resentful and angry gaze.

"Dark -"

"Shut up," he hissed, closing his eyes when he felt them glow red.

Jenna sniffled, whispering, "I'm sorry," one more time before wandering off to her previous spot, aware that the boy wanted to be left alone for now.

Dan crossed his arms and sulked, an anxious knot in his stomach as he watched Vlad talk with the paramedics tending to his teacher. It really _had_ been an accident! She'd given him detention, yet again, just because he'd been hanging out by the fifth grader's field. He'd found an anthill he'd been messing with, how was he supposed to know that he wasn't supposed to go over there?

Yes, he'd been aiming for the desk, giggling to himself all the while, ignoring Jenna's wary and anxious looks. And then James Cahill had thrown yet another paper ball at his head, and the aim from his finger had gone awry. Instead of hitting the desk as he'd intended, it had hit the teacher's apparently highly flammable coat. All he'd seen after that was the abundance of green flames. Of course, she'd screamed, and the kids had screamed, all the while Dan thinking of how much trouble he was probably in as Jenna had pulled him away from the classroom through the noisy fire alarm.

What troubled the boy the most, however, was that he didn't really feel guilty about what he'd done, but rather he felt guilty about _not_ feeling guilty. After all, he constantly got burned by ectoblasts, and he always healed up just fine! Why should he feel guilty... Though some small part of him _did_ know that there was a difference between humans' ability to heal and that of half-ghosts.

And that small part was the one that kept in mind everything his parents always went on about. Wouldn't his mother want him to feel bad about hurting a human? Even his dad was mad at him! Oh, he was always so confused by everything his parents told him! Everything was constantly about good and bad, wrong and right, smart and stupid decisions.

Vlad returned then, cutting off the child's confused inner ramblings. The man was stony-faced, but before he could speak the two half-ghosts heard a familiar voice nearby. They looked up to see Valerie talking to Jenna. She hadn't spotted Vlad yet, but Vlad had spotted her and was glaring heatedly at her turned back.

"Dad, can we go home, now?" Dan said, a troubled frown on his face.

Vlad turned to him and studied his face for a second before nodding stiffly and beginning the walk back to the car. "Your little friend won't tell her?"

The boy looked back at Jenna, who was quick to meet his gaze. She gave him a small sheepish smiled as she waved, and Dan sighed in relief, knowing he was safe for now. "No, she won't tell anyone." Not that he'd really doubted the fact, strangely enough.

Once in the car, Dan opened his mouth to start the conversation with several apologies, but his father held up a hand. He didn't look at the boy, and it was a quiet sign that the man was in no mood to talk just yet.

Dan fidgeted in the seat as they pulled out of the school parking lot and began the apparently dead silent ride back to the rich side of town.

After what seemed like an eternity, Vlad finally broke the silence. "Of all the things you've done, Daniel," the man said quietly, scowling at the road. Dan flinched, knowing that when his father used his full name... well, he _never _used his full name!

"It's not like I was _trying_ to set _her_ on fire! I was going for the desk!"

"Why were you trying to set anything on fire in the first place?" Vlad finally snapped.

Dan was nonplussed by his tone, however, intent on defending himself this time. "I hate Ms. Riley! She always criticizes how I dress and she'll give me detention for no reason! She even treats me different 'cause my grandparents are ghost hunters!"

"Dan, those are all valid reasons for light-hearted revenge, but not like this! You almost killed her! And what are you going to do if they decide to study the ectoplasmic residue left behind? Well?"

The boy rolled his eyes. "They're humans! They're not going to notice it!"

"The fire started out of nowhere and was _green_! How can you possibly think there won't be an investigation? If they manage to lock onto your ecto-signature, and consequently all of ours, then where will we be?"

Dan donned a humorous smirk, trying to lighten up the situation. "Dad, it was just -"

"_No_. You aren't getting out of this so easily this time! I am going to have a talk with your mother and... and... Oh, I don't know _what_ we're going to do with you, Dan, but it will _not_ be pretty."

The boy stopped himself from saying anything else then, instead turning to glare at the dashboard as a thick silence enveloped them once again.

* * *

_"Hello, Kerry. I want to play a game. Up until now, you have spent your life among the dead, piecing together their final moments. You're good at this because you, like them, are also dead."_

"YOU'RE JUST AS MUCH OF A LUNATIC, VLAD!"

Dan sighed and turned up the volume on the television yet again, and was disappointed that it wouldn't go up any higher anymore. He could hear his parents arguing all the way in the locked room across the hall. They'd been at it for over an hour, now!

"_You identify more with a cold corpse than you do with a living human. I believe you want to join your true family, indeed your only family, in death."_

Neither Vlad nor Danny had bothered to pay any attention to him in the slightest during that time. His dad had ordered him to his room as soon as they'd gotten home, and once Danny had gotten out of work, the fireworks had gone off. He'd never seen his mother so angry or freaked out, and it had honestly frightened him.

But it had all been an _accident_! He hadn't meant to hurt anyone! Didn't that make it not wrong? He'd simply meant to scare the teacher a bit, that was all! He felt remorseful, sure, but apparently not as much as his parents wanted him to be, and he'd kept putting his foot in his mouth the entire time he was being scolded. Still, their reactions – especially his mother's – were ridiculous. You'd think he was going to go on a psychotic killing spree and take over the world or something, just because of one little near-death accident!

Fortunately for him, as soon as his dad had tried to say something, his mom had been on him with all the verbal lashings that Dan thought were going to be meant for him. They'd started blaming each other for Dan's behavior, going on about bad influences and askew morals, until Dan had gotten fed up and had simply walked out of the room. Nobody had noticed.

...They weren't even fighting about _him_ anymore. They were just bickering among themselves, now. Not that _that_ was anything new.

The fact that he was watching a gory R-rated film in the living room with no one bothering to check up on him was testament to the fact that he was temporarily off the hook. He knew his parents would eventually settle things between them – more or less – but he almost wished they'd do it _now_, even if it meant he'd get in trouble all over again.

He was so sick of his parents fighting all the time! Most of the time they didn't even fight over anything! It almost made him wish they'd just live in separate places like when he was younger... almost. After all, to a young ghost, it was pretty unfathomable to imagine his parents living apart. He could only do so because he'd been in the situation before, but the idea still caused a certain bout of anxiety to build up inside him.

To top it off, the fighting had intensified just a few months ago. His mom was always away on an array of extracurriculars at the middle school, now. He spent a lot of time away from home – at least more than Dan was accustomed to – and his father seemed to blame it all on Jenna's mom. Dan had to admit that he had noticed something off with Valerie and his mother, but Danny had assured both the other half-ghosts in the household that there was nothing going on. His dad didn't believe his words, but Dan had no reason to doubt them. His mother would never lie to him, after all. And it was still _Jenna's_ mom, so he supposed that he could trust the woman more than any other random lady.

Dan didn't even flinch as the woman on the television screen had her ribs torn apart from her body, her organs spilling out onto the floor. He'd seen worse, after all. And even though the images on the screen didn't faze him, the memories of his nightmares that suddenly came to him did make his stomach churn.

He long ago stopped confiding in anyone most of his dreams and visions. Nobody ever told him anything, and it always seemed to make his mother afraid for reasons he still couldn't fathom. He knew it wasn't normal. He knew _he_ wasn't normal, even for a half-ghost.

Besides Jenna, he didn't have a single friend in school. He was too _different_! Even after he'd been put in the gifted program at school, there was still a huge gap between him and the other kids, but he'd fit even _less_ if they put him ahead a year or two like the school had wanted to. He felt like he just _couldn't_ fit in with other fourth graders! They liked different things, they played different games, they had different families. Edgar Baxter had even had the gall to get all of his classmates started on calling his mother several unpleasant names after hearing a nasty rumor about Vlad and Danny. Sure, it was closer to the truth than their cover story involving his Aunt Sam, but still! And like always, he couldn't do anything to defend himself or his family because he was stronger than all of them – he'd _really_ hurt them, even without meaning to, as his mother would remind him. And, he supposed, as the incident today was proof of.

And it was like the other kids subconsciously knew there was something off about Dan, from the way they acted around him. It had always been that way, but the older he got, the more his mind seemed to dance circles around the issue. Dan had to admit, he was grateful to have Jenna around, even if she always got them in trouble for talking too much. She was quite smart, she was more or less his conscience (even if he didn't always listen to her), and most importantly of all, she knew about his ghost half.

"WE CAN'T CHANGE THINGS LIKE THIS, DANIEL! That's exactly the kind of attitude that leads to more reckless behavior!"

Dan rolled it eyes. Sure, when he wasn't in trouble, they'd pay so much attention to him that they simply _smothered_ him, never letting him do anything he wanted – not to play in the Ghost Zone without someone breathing down his neck, not to go to Jenna's house without his mom present, not to let him work on certain powers (his mother's specialty), and not even fly over the city by himself. Heck, they wouldn't even let him go to the park across the street by himself! His mother especially was simply overprotective. But when he was in trouble, all they did was argue as if he didn't even exist. When he wasn't in trouble, he seemed to simply be getting suffocated with confusing moral lessons from his mother and dull philosophical debates from his father. They were simply _obsessed _with wanting him to be a "good person" or getting him to make the "right decisions," with a ridiculous amount of details laying out where the gray areas of life were. He just wanted to be a normal ghost kid like Box Lunch! Why did he always have to worry about every little thing he did? Why did he have to be a perfectionist like his parents? He didn't _want_ to worry about social or moral boundaries!

Dan heard the door across the hall open, before his mother yelled something and the door shut again, the arguing starting anew.

"This is so _stupid_!" the moody ten year old growled.

Dan turned off the television, his powers accidentally spiking in his rage so that the remote exploded into emerald flames in his hand before there was nothing left behind but ashes and the smell of burned plastic. Dan shrugged at the damage, a mischievous look on his face covering up his previous anger. He suddenly felt very daring, and it showed in his next self-directed words.

"Well, I'm already in tons of trouble. What else can happen if I just... go to the Ghost Zone for a little while?" he said to himself, sinking intangibly through the carpet. He landed nimbly on the second floor, taking a moment to really regain his balance before running for the stairs and taking them three at a time.

He briefly debated flying off to get Jenna, but remembered that she'd been quite shaken up when he last saw her, and Valerie would probably not be too keen on letting her go. Once on the first floor, the boy all but skipped to the middle of the room, phasing through the floor at just the right spot once again.

As soon as he finally found himself in his father's underground lab he morphed into his ghost form, sure that his parents would no longer be able to sense him at this range once he transformed. With a grin, he floated nonchalantly over to the ghost portal's keyboard. Dan frowned for a second, his small gloved hands hovering above the numbers and letters before he finally remembered the password he'd memorized. Of course, his parents didn't _know_ he'd memorized it, and he didn't feel inclined to tell them. He'd been waiting for the moment when he'd have a chance to do this. Or when he'd get the courage to.

Dan typed the long sequence rapidly on the keypad, then quickly moved to press a couple of buttons on the control panel before making a rushed beeline towards the swirling green vortex that was the ghost portal. Seconds later, the metal doors closed behind him.

* * *

The Ghost Zone had changed a lot since Danny had first become pregnant. And now that Dan was ten years old, the Ghost Zone was in a state of complete anarchy. There was nothing but chaos at every turn. Especially the Wasteland – the area where most of the ghosts that initially frequented Amity Park resided – had undergone drastic changes.

It was like the ghosts had been busy building their own little cities. There were so many new lairs that Dan's mother had given up on trying to map them out long ago, instead getting Tucker to do digital images of the masses of rocks and approximate locations of doors. Especially considering that the Specter Speeder got jumped every time they dared to take it into the place. Ghosts had a natural violent streak in them, but nothing like the transformation that the specter population had seen in the past couple years. While ghosts liked to leave each other alone and focus on their own obsessions before, with the occasional Danny exception, the ghosts nowadays seemed to have an obsession specifically with destroying and fighting each other. Gone were the days of simple fixations such as boxes and electronics.

The way that the number of ghosts had increased was also very discomforting, especially since the new drones of ghosts were the ones responsible for all the chaos. Ectoplasmic energy seemed to be less and less picky about how it joined together and birthed new spirits, creating new entities left and right as if there was some sort of extreme quota to be fulfilled. Most ghosts wouldn't even look at Danny anymore, because they simply did not know him. The only upside of this was that Dan's grandparents got to do what they loved and got paid to do it. And now with the entrance of Valerie and Danielle into the business, it seemed to have become an entrepreneurial venture of sorts. Though the Fentons and the young huntresses headed the ghost hunting, there were a few other hunters popping up every now and then.

Walker's mysterious absence had, surprisingly enough, taken a toll on the Ghost Zone as well. Bullet simply didn't have the patience or the drive to control the ghosts in the area with arbitrary rules. There was no longer a vigilante force, as Bullet and the rest of the guards simply let most ghosts except for those who were easy to manipulate do what they wanted. Of course, Dan did not know any of this. He only knew that Bullet ran the jail, and that he wasn't very good at it.

It was frightening enough going into the Ghost Zone that Danny would willingly ask Vlad to come along – two half-ghosts were safer than one, after all. Danny was especially irate that Vlad would so often take Dan into the Ghost Zone without his consent, although the child seemed to love the place much more than was probably healthy. He'd be in a simply jubilant mood for days after his trips. Dan had once overheard his mother talking with his Aunt Jazz about how he wasn't sure whether it was better to keep Dan away from the place or let him go.

Now, however, had been a perfect opportunity for Dan to wander in, alone and unsupervised, free to go wherever he pleased as long as he was careful. He'd never tried to sneak into the portal by himself, but today had been such a long day that his ghost side was _begging_ for the release of the Ghost Zone. It always seemed to call to him, but today had been especially strong.

And to heck with his cloak! It wasn't not like he wore it for any reason, or at least it seemed that way to him. He was ten years old! He could take care of himself! His parents were obviously just crazy and overprotective. All he wanted was the freedom the Ghost Zone offered without the suffocating restrictions his parents imposed, including that stupid cloak. Why should he have to hide himself? He was a ghost, too!

As Dan floated further away from the portal, he cautiously surveyed the area – just because he could take care of himself didn't mean that he was stupid enough to not listen to that little voice in the back of his head that warned him to watch his back. He made sure that there were no potentially violent spirits around before making a full-speed dash through the empty green space.

The Wasteland, considered the hybrids' Ghost Zone territory because of the location of Vlad's portal, was always emptier than other areas of the Ghost Zone for some reason. Dan vaguely remembered his parents mentioning that it had once been the center of activity, but thankfully for him he could now roam it much more safely than any other place in the ghostly realm. And today seemed especially quiet, which made Dan feel relieved.

Dan did several spins, shooting a couple of ectoblasts and an eye-ray at nothing in particular while releasing excited whoops of pent-up energy. He knew he had to enjoy his freedom before his parents realized that he existed again.

Spotting a couple of tiny green blob ghosts, he smiled a toothy grin.

"Hey! Bet you guys can't out-fly me!" he called after them, though he doubted they could understand him. Flying as fast as he could towards them, he heard them give matching squeaks of fright as he followed their path and made them run into each other. After a while of chasing them, they finally had the common sense to make themselves invisible. Their ecto-signatures were so small that Dan quickly lost trace of them, but he didn't mind. He simply laughed to himself, feeling revitalized just by being in the Ghost Zone. Here, he could forget Ms. Riley, his parents, and everything else in the world!

_I wanna just live here forever_, he thought to himself, almost dreamily, before a cluster of floating doors in the distance caught his eye.

Dan excitedly flew over to them, pressing his ear against the purple surface of one before he giggled mischievously and opened the door. A loud roar greeted him, and he quickly went to hide behind another door, trying to hold in his laughter as the angry ghost smashed its... whatever it was, around inside its realm before the door slammed shut on its own accord.

Shamelessly, he grabbed the handle of the door he was hiding behind and repeated the action, hearing the wailing protests of whoever lived there. However, a loud rumbling sound from inside the realm he had just opened startled him enough that he adopted a spectral tail and swiftly flew over to the nearest island which could offer a place to hide.

The boy phased into a set of old buildings that looked like ruins of some sort, wincing as he heard the unmistakable sound of a very angry scream of the ghostly sort. After what seemed like forever, he heard the loudest door-slam he'd ever encountered. He waited just a minute more before vigilantly peeking his head through the wall. Seeing that all was still out in the Ghost Zone once more, he came out and was instantly captivated by the place he had landed on.

"Whoa," he whispered to himself in quiet awe.

He had indeed been correct when he'd thought the old buildings looked like ruins, because that was exactly what they were. They were buildings made of some sort of stone, clearly worn down to the point of crumbling. There had been something on the island, but it had been destroyed, probably by the ghost gangs before they had fled the Wasteland. Dan was enraptured by the scene for reasons he could probably never bring himself to explain. Why did everything look so pretty if it was falling apart like that?

Dan's musings were suddenly interrupted by a strange feeling inside him. Though his ghost sense didn't really work in the Ghost Zone, he was certain that he could feel a familiar ghost nearby. Or more like approaching _very rapidly_.

He barely managed to duck in time, because a microsecond later he felt a gust from something zooming over his head. Floating upwards, his hunch proved to be completely right as a grinning Box Lunch greeted him.

"Dark! You're in the Ghost Zone!" she exclaimed, flying over to him and hugging him. For once, Dan didn't protest, though he did sneer a bit before prying her off of him. He was in too good of a mood at the moment from his lone venture in the Ghost Zone, and he was feeling rather generous, come to think of it. He might be willing – maybe even a little bit _happy_ to play with Box Lunch. Just for today.

Still, he'd never tell Box Lunch that, so he backed away a little and rolled his eyes before replying, "Of _course_ I'm in the Ghost Zone. Does it look like we're in the Real World to you?"

Even though anyone else, adult and child alike, might have been turned off by the ten year old's tone, Box Lunch didn't mind it one bit and simply continued to smile before she noticed something odd. She looked around curiously before drawing closer and poking his nose. "Hey! Stop touching me!" he protested.

"Where are your mom and dad?" she said, pausing in her inspection of him. "And where's your cloak?"

The half-ghost smirked, his fangs gleaming in the Ghost Zone's eerie lighting, before he pretentiously retorted, "I don't _need_ my parents _or_ my cloak anymore. I can take care of myself just fine, Box Lunch."

Box Lunch beamed. "That means you can come to the Ghost Zone to see me, now!"

Dan snorted. "I didn't come to see you. I came 'cause it's the Ghost Zone! But... I'm in a good mood, so I'll let you play with me – _if_ you're not gonna be annoying, that is."

The girl giggled and nodded frantically. "Come on, Dark! We can go play with the canyon!"

The hybrid child grinned. The infamous Carnivorous Canyon, which was in actuality a live cave with teeth, was a place where he'd only been once, when his father had been distracted enough that Dan had excitedly sneaked off to explore it. Indeed, it wasn't playing _at_ the canyon, it was playing _with_ the canyon. And it wasn't so much _playing_ with it as it was _taunting_ it.

"I'll race you there!" he spoke quickly, and without warning took off to the outskirts of the Wasteland. He could only tell where the outskirts began because it seemed to get significantly darker beyond a certain point.

"Hey! No fair!" he heard Box Lunch yell behind him.

Dan made a sharp right, his aerodynamic ghostly tail letting him reach higher and higher speeds. He could see Klemper's freezer door in the distance, which meant that the canyon was not too far beyond that. Suddenly, the boy's eyes widened when in front of him materialized a giant crate of... tomatoes?

His speed didn't let him brake in time to avoid crashing into the crate. He stood suspended in midair, wiping furiously at his face and trying to get the squashed tomato bits out of his cape. He heard insane giggling as Box Lunch zoomed towards and past him. Her speed was much slower than his yet she was still able to wound his pride, somewhat.

"CHEATER!" he yelled after her, turning intangible to get the tomato goo and random pieces of wood off of him.

"Takes one to know one!" she screamed at him from several feet away.

Dan didn't even have to think about his retaliation. He smiled mischievously before teleporting, disappearing in a puff of green smoke. A second later, he appeared in front of Box Lunch's path. There was clear shock on her face before he ectoblasted her at point-blank range. The girl screamed, and Dan took the opportunity to hurriedly fly towards their pseudo-playground destination.

However, just as he flew past Skulker's Island, he became distracted by the monstrous floating land mass not too far away. Wonderful idea that it was, he decided he might as well stop there first, and so he abruptly turned to change his course and continued at a much calmer pace. Soon enough, though, he felt a sudden tug on his arm.

"Dark, where are you going?" Box Lunch asked urgently, having followed after Dan when she saw him veer in a different direction.

"The prison. Duh," Dan said condescendingly. "Youngblood says they've got a three-headed dog there!"

"But what about the canyon?"

"Have you ever _seen_ a three-headed dog? I'd rather play with one of them than with some dumb canyon."

Box Lunch's interest was piqued, but she still looked troubled. "You're not supposed to go there without permission, though! That's against the rules!"

The half-ghost scoffed. "Rules, schmules. Bullet doesn't ever catch anyone, Box Lunch! Besides," he paused and smirked at her, "we're _ghosts_. We make our _own_ rules."

And with that, Dan dashed off towards the dark building looming above them. Before he could reach it, however, a strange feeling of foreboding caused him to brake his flight. His pointed ears twitched as his enhanced hearing picked up a strange sound nearby. He suddenly felt nervous, his aura flaring with the feeling as he thought of everything that could be out there. And he was all alone, too!

Daring to look around, he immediately caught sight of what the disturbance was. However, what he saw was nothing like all of the things he'd been imagining in his head.

"A ghost portal?" he asked himself upon laying eyes on it.

Or at least he _thought_ it was a portal. Somehow, it seemed way too bright, and he even had to shield his eyes from its light. It looked almost white from how blinding its glow was. Feeling more intrepid now that he knew it was only a portal, he eyed it curiously and slowly began to approach it.

Dan jumped when he heard Box Lunch yell something behind him, though in his preoccupation with the portal he hadn't caught the words. The urgency in her voice, however, made him turn around – if only out of curiosity.

There was the Ghost Zone's stand-in warden, holding Box Lunch up by the back of her shirt while she struggled in his grip, her eyes, burning a fiery red. Dan immediately felt himself grow angry, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists in anger. Anyone who knew Dan and Box Lunch's relationship might have questioned the boy's ire at seeing the girl in peril, but it made perfect sense to the little half-ghost.

_Nobody messes with Phoebe but **me**!_

Dan shot towards the guard as fast as he could, creating an ectoplasmic rope and letting his ghost stinger charge it as soon as it enveloped Bullet. The adult ghost immediately cried out in pain, Box Lunch screaming from shock. "Dark!" she cried.

Bullet, however, did not loosen his hold on the girl. In fact, the surprise attack only seemed to make him angry. Before he could be spotted, Dan teleported to a spot behind the other ghost and wrapped his small hands around his neck. "Let her go!" the child demanded.

Recognizing the voice as that of a child's, Bullet laughed humorlessly. "What is it with you kids thinking it's alright to hang around the prison? Come here!" And as he reached his arm back to grab the boy tightly wound around him, Dan saw a perfect opening for his signature move.

Bullet couldn't hold back an angry, pained yowl as the boy sunk his teeth into his arm as hard as he possibly could. He released the ghost girl, who stood motionless staring at the one-eyed ghost as he flailed around trying to dislodge the ghost from his arm. Suddenly, the girl frowned, her emotions causing her aura to flare.

"LET GO OF HIM!" she screeched, feeling brave enough to jump into the fray. Imitating her half-ghost friend, she sank her not-so-sharp teeth into Bullet's shoulder, her hands holding tightly onto the blue hair that peeked out of his bandana.

"AGH! You damn...!"

Meanwhile, in the chaos that ensued, the three brawling ghosts failed to notice the disappearance of the strange portal, and the entity that emerged from it. They failed to feel the pair of glowing green eyes watching them curiously from a distance, and they failed to see them stare up at the prison after a while before heading straight towards it.

Walker maneuvered himself easily through the jail, invisible in case his presence were to cause unrest. He didn't know what kind of timeline he'd landed himself in, after all. Everything seemed normal enough on the outside, if not a little bit quiet. On the inside, most of the cells were empty, which irked him immensely and made him _hope_ he wasn't the one in charge of the prison in this timeline – it would be downright embarrassing to let his jail get into such a state.

Regardless, the hallways remained the same, the signs pointing to different clusters of cells all reading the same information that they did in his timeline. And so he easily found the way to his office, but to his annoyance he found – not _his _name on the door, but rather Bullet's. However, it seemed to have been crudely stuck onto the wood. Walker noticed that there was something else underneath the laminated nameplate. Carelessly removing it, he found that underneath Bullet's name was his own, carved just as it had been in his timeline. He briefly thought about the ominous connotations that this had, but that didn't stop him from phasing into the room, dropping his invisibility once inside.

It was just the same as he remembered, minus the papers littered over the desk's surface and the folders sticking out of the filing cabinets in the corner. Yes, this was certainly Bullet's office at the moment, given its disorderly state.

"February 3rd, 2019," he read out loud from the calendar that sat on the desk. Ghosts usually weren't meticulous about keeping track of dates, but it was rather necessary when keeping up with thousand year sentences. The date currently on the calendar told Walker that it was exactly three years from where he'd left off in his timeline. The date was probably irrelevant but he still moved on to the filing cabinet he remembered to be organized by date, just out of curiosity.

The warden flipped through the most recent cases, noticing plenty of familiar names on the cases and some not so familiar ones. Almost every single one read unfinished sentences due to prisoners escaping. Once he got to the files written back in 2016, the cases started getting more numerous. But most peculiar of all was that, once he got to the first couple of months out of the year, he recognized _every_ _single one_.

"Strange..." he whispered to himself.

His gloved fingers retraced their previous path, stopping on February 4th, 2016. The day's report was less than a page long, though there were several pages outlining plans to fix up the prison. As Walker began reading, he grew more and more mystified at the eerily familiar content.

_The prison is in disarray. Plans have been drawn up to repair the damage, but it will be difficult until guards begin to return to their posts. There are zero prisoners on file today. No arrests are to be made; lack of a proper law force prevents efficient order in procedures and will most likely end in the remaining guards being overpowered. The ghosts remaining in the Wasteland have been deemed to possess the rights to defend themselves and their lairs at all costs; There will be no arrests made for rule-breaking for ghosts created in post-human consciousness or through breeding. Any pleads for aid from the Real World will be ignored, and all half-ghosts requesting it will be considered humans for this purpose_. _Walker has left to seek Dark Phantom. Due to the nature of the Infi-Map, his timely return is debatable. A reform of the prison will take place some time this month. End log._

Walker froze. "...has left to seek Dark Phantom. Due to the nature of the Infi-Map, his timely return is debatable..." he read out loud to himself, going over the two sentences several more times as he attempted to make sense of the situation. The gears in his mind turned, leading him to only logical conclusion that he was still in his _own_ timeline. He had simply jumped three years into the future!

He fingered the Infi-Map in his front pocket, becoming perplexed once again when another thought occurred to him. Dark Phantom, the very reason he had begun this endeavor with the Infi-Map in the first place, had been in his timeline all along? That didn't make any sense! How could the Observants have been so stupid that they didn't notice an all-powerful ghost being...

Wait... but a ghost that powerful _had_ to have been born from two ghost parents! Regardless of recent (or _not_ so recent) events, ghosts born from stray ecto-matter could not possibly be strong enough to reach a power level where they managed to take over two worlds. Not even Pariah had been able to gain control without the help of the Ring of Rage and Crown of Fire, after all.

And on top of everything, this Phantom seemed to follow normal growth patterns for a ghost born from two parents. He had seen it with his own two eyes! And what he'd seen earlier... that had been the Lunch Lady's and the Box Ghost's daughter – Phoebe or whatever her name was – that had been with the younger Phantom. She was barely any older than she'd been when he had jumped into the portal; she seemed just about the same age as Dark Phantom, actually.

Walker's thoughts were cut off by angry mutterings behind him as somebody phased into the office. The mutterings abruptly stopped just as the warden turned around to see a wide-eyed Bullet frozen in place. Walker couldn't help but chuckle and grin at the ghost, holding up the February 4th file. "'His timely return is debatable,' huh?"

He slammed the file down on the desk, circling around the desk and leaning against it nonchalantly as he eyed Bullet like a cat eyeing a canary.

* * *

The head officer and newly reinstated warden flew swiftly through the halls, ignoring the surprised glances and welcomes from the guards they passed.

"Honestly, if we would've simply _known_ we'd find him in three years anyways -"

"And have to wait all that time for it? Are you kidding me? There's no way I regret going into that portal, Bullet."

Bullet laughed nervously. "Yeah, but you should have seen – oh, when finally got him off of me and I actually _saw_ him. And then you just popping up out of nowhere! Oh, God, it's been a long day," he said, sighing wearily as the two of them turned a corner.

The two had barely taken any time to talk. Walker had simply gotten to the point and asked him if he'd trapped the kids, which Bullet confirmed. He only bothered to explain enough for Bullet to understand that he was back and they needed to interrogate the Phantom kid to find out more about him, starting with just _where_ he had come from. Even then, their conversation had been cut short when the guards that had been watching over the two children had informed them that the boy had escaped the cell – by _turning human_.

It explained so much. The power level, the reason why they had never seen him before, and the reason why the Observants couldn't interfere – interfering with Real World matters was both complicated and strictly prohibited unless the situation was dire, after all. The kid was probably the result of another freak accident out in the Real World, just like Plasmius and Danny Phantom.

With an ecstatic grin, Walker had ordered the guards to use their half-ghost weapons and handcuffs. Now that the situation was under control, Walker was more anxious to see this Phantom kid than a five year old would be driving to Disneyland.

After a long and relatively silent walk, Walker and Bullet finally arrived at the cell holding the two children.

It was definitely him, alright. The boy had reverted back to his ghost form, thanks to the collar now around his neck. Walker hadn't managed to get anything that would both suppress half-ghosts' powers _and _keep their spectral energy high enough to stay in ghost form; it was the reason why they had never tried it on Phantom. This child, however, was obviously still developing – despite what the large scorch marks on the cell walls and ceiling might have implied. He knew it hadn't been the girl because she was currently busy attacking the cell, but her attacks were doing little damage. The boy, however, was occupied with verbally assaulting his officers and being ignored all the while.

"Let me go! You're gonna be sorry! My dad -"

"What was that about your father, now?" Walker interrupted the child's snarling threats, and both kids immediately turned around to see who had spoken.

Dan's instincts went into overdrive as he stared back at the ghost with the piercing green eyes and wicked grin, dressed in matching white from head to toe. He ignored the wariness he suddenly felt from the way the warden was eyeing him and simply bared his teeth, his aura flaring even more. "Let me go, you stupid ghost!" he growled. To his further irritation, all the other ghost did was chuckle.

"Go on, now," the ghost commanded, looking at the guards and Bullet. "All of you! Scram! I'll deal with these two myself."

Walker turned to Dan again, a wolfish grin adorning his face. "You too, Bullet. I've got this," he said without looking at the other ghost. Bullet hesitated before he flew off to stand just outside the door.

Before there was a chance for real silence to fall, Box Lunch spoke up. "Let us go! You can't keep us here! You dumb ghost, you're just – mmf!"

Dan gasped and turned angry eyes to the warden after he successfully silenced his not-quite-friend with an ecto-gag. The boy didn't get a chanced to spew any further threats, however, because Walker approached the cell at a dangerously close proximity before speaking in a smooth voice carrying a certain level of intimidation.

"Now, then. I think we got off on the wrong foot. My name's Walker, and I'm the warden of this here prison. I know who your little friend over there is, so we don't need to talk today. But you and I certainly do. What's your name, boy?"

The boy eyed the older ghost suspiciously, feeling rather vulnerable trapped in this cage with his friend and left alone in the room with this strange spirit. He felt Box Lunch grab onto his cape behind him, but didn't protest as he went over the situation in his head. He knew that calculating look on the alleged warden's face, and it was obvious the ghost didn't have good intentions. The young half-ghost chose to stall with his next words and proceeded with caution.

"I thought Bullet was the warden of the prison," Dan said slowly.

Walker kept that creepy grin on his face the whole time he eyed the two ten year olds. It was very disconcerting, and Dan could almost feel goosebumps build even in his ghost form. "Bullet? Nah, he's only my head officer. I had some business to take care of, so I put him in charge. I trust he's been doing a good job taking care of the prison?"

It was at that point that Box Lunch managed to rip the ecto-gag away from her mouth. "Dark," Box Lunch whispered hurriedly in his ear.

"Shut up!" Dan hissed under his breath, but it was too late.

"Dark? Is that your name?" Walker asked in a pleasant voice, shooting a thicker ecto-gag at the girl to silence her once more. Box Lunch's shriek of rage and distress was muffled, and she could do little but hold onto Dan's cape once more.

Dan glared at the warden, shaking from the desire to hurt the ghost – but it would be useless to try when his attacks would simply bounce around the cell. Meanwhile, all Walker did was smirk as if he'd just uncovered the secret to all life and afterlife.

_Jackpot,_ the warden couldn't help but exclaim in his head.

Walker's chuckles only infuriated the boy further. "What's it to you?" Dan snapped, adopting a defensive stance once again.

The adult ghost's eyes narrowed maliciously. "Now, now. I wouldn't be so disrespectful towards those in authority, if I were you. After all, you're currently in _my_ prison, and even minors can serve sentences here. Even if I were to let you go, I couldn't just let you off without informing somebody to better watch out for you. Can't have you running loose around these parts, can we? Luckily, I know who _your_ parents are, little miss," he drawled, but Box Lunch could nothing but squeak at being addressed. "And I'm sure you have parents too, Dark?"

"That depends. Will my parents know I was here?" he said in a panic while he still attempted to maintain a defiant air. He internally winced, however, when he realized he had more or less given the prison head leverage to use by admitting his parents neither knew where he was nor agreed with him being there.

Of course, Walker gave a triumphant smirk at the boy's words, but not for the reasons that Dan thought. The boy had just not only confirmed that he had parents, but that they probably knew about the existence of the Ghost Zone. That meant that he could most likely be accessed through any portal in Amity Park. But Walker had to keep playing the part. "My lips are sealed as long as yours are not, Dark. But you don't _have_ to tell me _anything_. I can find out either from your mouth, or from your parents directly when they come claim you whenever they manage to find you. It wouldn't be difficult – you _are_ a ghost, with a connection to your parents whenever you're in trouble... We could always just put you in a situation where your parents will be sure to come by – something that'll make them feel _needed_."

Dan's eyes widened. He stared down the warden for several long seconds, and came to realize that there was obvious threat in Walker's words. Dan knew that his parents would be able to feel if he was in enough emotional or physical distress, and that they would easily be able to find him with any of the several devices that could lock onto his ecto-signature. And then he'd _never_ be allowed out of his room again – much less into the Ghost Zone! Dan gulped and tried desperately to hide the anxiety in his voice. "Why do you want to know who my parents are?"

"I have to have some way of identifying you. After all, it's part of my job to keep the few real children of the Ghost Zone safe. You probably live around here, after all, right? I don't think your Mom and Dad would like you wandering around," Walker replied, feigning ignorance and still pretending he knew nothing about the boy being half human.

Dan nodded his head slowly, somewhat relieved to hear that Walker had no clue who his parents were – he thought they were full ghosts! "I live out east by the warehouse," he answered, hitting Box Lunch with a tiny blast when he heard her give a muffled hum.

Walker stared at him and smiled maliciously, leaning so close to the bars of the cell that Dan had to consciously keep himself from backing away.

"...You're lying," Walker said after a moment's pause.

Dan glared at him. "How would _you_ know?" he snapped.

"'Cause that's where _she_ lives," he retorted, pointing to Box Lunch who gave a tiny jump before mimicking her friend's fiery glare. "And we don't have records of any other children living anywhere around those parts."

Dan's deer-in-the-headlights look said it all. He'd taken the bait. Of course, Walker didn't know where the kid lived, despite his suspicions of it being Amity Park – there weren't even any records keeping track of where ghosts lived, actually. But the boy had obviously been lying previously, and by the tension he showed and the guilt in his eyes, he probably wasn't supposed to be wandering around these parts anyways.

Dan avoided the ghost's gaze, the anxiety now showing through his posture. But he couldn't just give away who his parents were! He'd get in _so much _trouble!

"Tell you what," Walker said, attempting to make his voice somewhat gentle once he realized that he was just making the kid more likely to start freaking out and less likely to talk. "How's about we start off with some easier questions?"

Dan eyed him suspiciously, though his unease was now clearly shining through in his red-eyed gaze. Still, the guy wasn't following through on his threats just yet... Maybe he wasn't really a strong ghost? Or perhaps he really _did_ just want to keep him and Box Lunch safe and away from the more dangerous parts of the Ghost Zone? "...What kinds of questions?"

"Say, when were you born? How old are you?"

"September 25th, 2008," the boy said slowly. "I'm... ten."

Walker could see that the child was telling the truth this time around, but what confused him was the boy's date of birth. It was _exactly_ the same as the well-known birthdate of Phantom and Plasmius' spawn. Suddenly, his eyes widened, the gears in his mind turning as everything clicked into place. He felt like he'd been slapped in the face when realization struck him.

_"You'll regret not dealing with the problem at its source. It's only a matter of time, you know."_

Of course! _That's_ why the Council saw Danny Phantom as a threat! _That's_ why they wanted to eliminate half-ghosts!

Danny Phantom and Vlad Plasmius had spawned the most evil ghost in history.

Were he not a ghost with already pale skin, Walker would've blanched when he realized just who this kid was. There was no other explanation – the kid was _half-ghost_, for crying out loud! And now that he thought about it, Dark was also the spitting image of Danny Phantom, with Plasmius' influence being painfully obvious as well.

It must be a time paradox, he realized. A time loop of sorts. Dark would probably grow up to be exactly what he'd executed that Christmas Eve. He'd somehow manage to escape into the time-stream at some point and create a world of pure chaos. Then, once back in the past, he'd try to kill Clockwork, get captured by the Observants, and get executed yet again. But he obviously wasn't quite there just yet. If Walker had this foresight, if he could get to the boy while he was still young and impressionable...

"...Hello?" Dan said after seeing Walker blank out, snapping the warden out of his thoughts.

"Your parents wouldn't happen to be half-ghosts, would they?" the older ghost was quick to ask.

Dan's face and silence confirmed the fact when he realized Walker knew who his parents were. Oh, _why_ hadn't he worn his cloak? He looked like his parents, after all! Of course other ghosts could recognize him! He was going to be in so much trouble now...

The boy looked away, feeling the nudges from a nervous Box Lunch and trying to quickly think up a way to approach this. While Walker patiently waited for the boy's answer through the thick silence, Dan decided that a change of tactics was in order. His eyes quickly narrowed. "Yeah, my parents are half-ghosts! They're Danny Phantom and Vlad Plasmius," he said, the defiant confidence returning to his voice. "A-And they're both _really powerful_, so you better be careful 'cause they can hurt you so bad if you do anything to me! They'll waste you!"

"See, that wasn't so hard now, was it, kid?" Walker said, ignoring the threat and grinning widely, plans bouncing around in his head at a million miles per hour. And Plasmius as the father... Oh, this was just _too_ perfect! "Actually, I _do_ know your parents, you know. They live in Amity Park, isn't that right?"

Dan nodded. "Y-Yeah. But that's our territory, so you better not get near there!"

Walker chuckled. "Of course not. And seeing that you actually cooperated, I don't feel forced to keep you here any longer. I won't tell a word about you two being here," he said in an overly pleasant voice, taking the two kids aback. The gag disappeared from Box Lunch's mouth, and a second later their cell was unlocked. "Now run along! And next time, use the front gate if you really want a tour of the prison," he told them, shoving them away as he phased out of the room and headed towards Bullet like an excited five year old, ignoring the two stunned ten year olds. From the look Bullet saw on his superior's face, he knew something good had just happened, and he knew that a plan was unfolding.

* * *

**End Notes:** Tch, ya see, Dan? This is why your parents don't let you go to the Ghost Zone alone. *shakes head* Anyways, here's where we _really_ jump into the story! Oh, Walker. If only you knew... Actually, the same goes for poor little Dan, hehe.

Oh, and Carnivorous Canyon was a reference to "Infinite Realms." Just a fun fact.


	12. Of Surreptitious Nature

**Notes:** Oh, Danny and Valerie. I really wish I could get into them for chapters and chapters, but with the way little Dan's (rightfully) starting to hog the spotlight... But anyways, I've been waiting to get this chapter out for quite a while, despite the fact that I'm not all that happy with it. And that's added to the horribly obscene amount of time I made you guys wait between updates with no warning whatsoever. I'm just hoping I didn't lose any of my wonderful readers, but I've had several issues to deal with lately that have kept me away from writing. On to other matters, though, this was one of the first chapters I drafted – well, I drafted about half of it before I posted this story. Guess which half and get a slice of good ol' fashion Fenton Toast! But of course, everyone gets my gratitude for bearing with me on the slow updates.

One last note: It is freaking HARD to write het romance when one is partially asexual and only reads slash.

* * *

**Chapter Eleven – Of Surreptitious Nature**

She looked beautiful, he thought. She had finally listened to him and started to grow out her hair for the past several months from the very short style it had been before – the kind that made his stomach turn remembering where he had seen it before on a slightly younger Valerie. She'd even gotten quite creative with it, and right now it hung in straight black strands that framed her perfectly refined features. And then there was the blouse she was wearing today – low-cut but still classy, as he had come to expect of her. Still, its classiness didn't stop his eyes from wandering every now and then. She _did_ look gorgeous, after all.

"Danny," she said his name coquettishly. "You're staring again."

Danny started, snapping out of his reverie. "Huh?"

Valerie shook her head and laughed, sliding her coffee across the booth table and placing it into his hands. "Nothing. Just that if I didn't know any better, I'd say you and Danielle were twins or something. Always off in your own little worlds."

The man almost tensed, but chuckled to ease the tension which easily fell from his shoulders as he took a sip of the coffee she offered. He'd already finished his. "I'm not actually in my own little world, you know. I, ah, was just thinking about how beautiful you look today."

She smiled and playfully rolled her eyes. "Danny Fenton, when will you stop trying to court me like it's our first date?"

He grinned. "What? I can't help it if -" The ringing of his phone quickly cut him off. He sighed. "Hold on a sec."

The woman nodded, the smile still on her face as she was passed the cup of coffee and took a sip. Danny's next words as he took the phone call, however, quickly built a bitter taste in her mouth and the smile slowly melded right off her face.

"What do you want?" the man snapped into the phone, irked at the interruption.

…

"No, I _told_ you I wouldn't be there. Actually, I told you that you couldn't do it, either! He's grounded, remember?"

…

"Yes, of course it counts! And if I get home and you two are..."

…

"Oh, uh, yeah... I'm... with some kids. See, there's the state tests coming up, and..."

…

"What? No! Would you stop being so paranoid?"

…

"Of _course_ I'm still at school!"

…

"I _know_ it's late, but a lot of the kids have basketball practice! Don't you think I know what time it is? I..."

…

"Don't you _dare_...! You know what? Fine!"

…

"FINE! I'll be over in like half an hour."

Danny shut the flip-phone closed with an angry snap and turned to glare across the table.

"I swear, that man doesn't know the meaning of the word 'discipline!'" he complained.

Valerie sighed rather wearily. "Well, it's not like he's actually a parent, Danny," she said, and though she was defending Vlad – it was obvious by this point that Danny was talking about the man – her tone implied that the sentiment was completely insincere.

Danny's eye twitched curiously. "Yeah..."

Both seemed to contemplate their own inner musings for a minute. Valerie was the first to come back to reality. "So you have to go then, huh?"

Danny looked up and noticed her crestfallen expression. He tried to smile at her. "Yeah. But I can drop you off first."

"That's alright, Danny. I can fly -"

"Nah, I insist," he said, this time his smile much more genuine. "Besides, it would mean more time with you. I only need fifteen minutes to drop you off and get home... And I _did_ say I'd be back in _about_ a half hour..."

Valerie's eyes sparkled with anticipation and excitement of what lay behind the man's words. "Alright."

It took longer than expected to drop her off. Or at least longer than one would normally expect between two "friends."

Of course, they _did_ call each other lovers. Just not in front Danny's family. Or in front of Jenna, who might tell Dan. Or in front of Danny's friends, who might tell their respective spouses, who might tell his family, who might tell Vlad, who would definitely tell Dan. Or in front of anyone who might be part of the press, who might be out to publish the Red Huntress' love life, or Vlad's not-lover's love life.

In short, they were lovers in private and wherever they could find a secluded club or coffee shop, usually with dark curtains or lighting and an apathetic crowd. And on those blessed nights when Dani took Jenna out somewhere.

Still, Danny didn't think about that as he held Valerie close to him throughout their lengthy goodbye make-out session in the front seat of his car. They didn't let it get any further simply because of time constraints and paranoia about any bystanders.

Danny sighed in contentment as Valerie gently gripped his hair and purred in his ear. He nipped her neck rather hard, almost as if encouraging her to be a bit rougher. She complied by tugging at his hair and then moving her hands to his back, applying a bit of sharp pressure with her nails.

The dark-skinned woman moved her hands to briefly caress his biceps as he continued his ministrations to her neck, before she moved lower still. Danny paused and moaned at the sudden touch.

"Vlad..." he breathed, almost inaudibly.

But audibly enough for Valerie's eyes to fly open and for her to pull away. "W-What did you say?"

Danny pulled away as well, a glazed look covering up the confusion in his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"You just called me Vlad!" she said, both angrily and bit hysterically.

Danny's tensed, but Valerie didn't notice through the sudden disgust she felt. Her hand on the door made the man finally jump into action. "W-What? No I didn't! I said 'Val!'" he said in shocked voice, his hand on her arm and an equally disturbed yet distinctly hurt look on his face. They stared each other down for nearly a minute before Danny saw the beginnings of embarrassment replace the surprise that had been etched into her face.

In the back of his mind, Danny briefly wondered when he had gotten so good at covering up his emotions and faking new ones.

"I'm _so_ sorry, Danny. I just thought... but..." she trailed off with a sigh. "You know, maybe this wasn't such a good idea. This whole relationship, with the two of us obviously carrying so much baggage -"

"No! Valerie, I don't care that you thought that I – look, I get it, okay? I mean, that's what the whole world thinks already. But that doesn't mean we can't work through it! Look, please, just -"

"Alright, alright!" Valerie interrupted, donning a nervous smile at his clear desperation and fear of losing her. It almost seemed obsessive to her, since she didn't think she'd done anything to deserve the sentiment. "I'm really sorry, though. You just know I've got an issue or two with Masters, is all."

Danny sighed. "You know, you never _have_ told me what your problem with Vlad is, exactly..."

The woman avoided his gaze then, as she always did when the subject was brought up. At the same time, she chanced a glance at the car's clock. She almost sighed in relief before turning back to the man. "Looks like it's been thirty minutes, you know."

The man shook his head and sat back in the driver's seat. "Guess I should go, then..."

Just as he started up the car, Valerie titled his head towards her and kissed him gently on the lips. "I love you, you know."

Danny couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, I know."

And with that, he watched her saunter into her home before driving off towards Vlad's mansion.

* * *

He shut the door as quietly as he could behind himself, looking around the foyer before he felt confident enough that there was nobody around to drop his invisibility. Vlad would've probably sensed him by now, right? And Dan would've been right after his father, most likely.

Danny sighed in relief upon realizing that the rest of the half-ghost unit was either in the underground lab or overly occupied in their respective bedrooms. Hopefully they weren't busy with training, given that Dan was still grounded for the... setting his teacher on... well, the incident with his teacher. It still made Danny incredibly sad and quite a bit angry to think about it. With another sigh, the man pushed the traumatizing incident out of his mind and quickly (but quietly) padded his way to his bedroom.

Setting his things down in the connecting study, he scowled at the mahogany desk as he thought about how ridiculous it was that he had to sneak into his own house. It was like being a teenager all over again! Only this time, sneaking into the house in ghost form could be flawlessly detected by anyone in the house. Honestly, he almost felt like he was committing adultery, despite the fact that there was absolutely _no_ relationship between Vlad and him at _all._

_If it looks like cheating and it feels like cheating, then Dan's baby daddy is probably..._

Danny's eye twitched and he violently stomped on that voice in the back of his head that sounded suspiciously like Phantom, ghostly echo and all.

Leaving his study, he collapsed on the king-size bed in the room and tried to forget about the other man he shared a house with. Still, all his mind did was wander further into troubling territory. Like Valerie.

It had been going on for several months now... almost nine, he realized with certain surprise. It had been his idea to start the relationship off on a covert nature, but it remarkably enough _not_ been his idea to keep it that way. He never protested against it, however, as it was a golden opportunity, simply too good to pass up to keep things as normal as they were for just a _little_ longer. One month had turned into two, and two had turned to six, and before they knew it lies smothered in excuses were being dropped like a scalding cup of coffee.

Danny didn't know why Valerie had also chosen to keep their blooming relationship a secret; he'd only been fed an obvious lie about the press, but he knew better. It probably had something to do with the same reason she'd cooked up back in high school, simply out of a need or desire to protect him.

He knew why _he_ kept it a secret, however. His little half-ghost "family" was not tolerant of perceived intruders, and it would simply tear him apart to let _this_ particular relationship die the way the others had. He would say that he loved her, though a part of him realized that it wasn't really love he felt, but more specifically an animalistic _need_ to keep Valerie around because... well, she made him feel like a hero again. She gave him the same feeling he got when he did something for Dan that a parent would, actually. And maybe a bit like when he fought ghosts. He could be chivalrous around her, could act the perfect boyfriend, and all the while he absolutely delighted in his clones protecting her while his human self simultaneously showed off skills with stashed ghost-hunting weapons. He never really got a chance to hunt ghosts anymore, but his relationship with Valerie gave him the freedom to do so at the same time as he could protect others, his stand-in mate especially...

_Wait a second, my __**mate**__?_ he startled at his own thoughts before shaking his head and dismissing it as another side-effect of his ghost side.

Still, best of all was the fact that his sweet Valerie could take up every one of his thoughts. She was the only person who could make him forget about everything just for a moment. About the civil unrest constantly manifesting itself from the Ghost Zone, about Dan's troubling early rebellious phase, about the suspicion from his friends' spouses concerning his ghost half, and most importantly all about_Vlad_...

Danny groaned then before throwing a pillow on his face. That damn, smug, glorious bastard.

His thoughts now irreversibly on the older man, and with no distractions in sight, he couldn't help but look back on the earlier incident in his car. Had he really...?

_Did you really moan Vlad's name like a five dollar hooker? Yup. Then again, you've got an **obscene** amount of repressed feelings in here just piling up. It's getting kinda crowded. You're just making it worse, you know. And poor Valerie, she doesn't deserve that..._

Danny felt his face heat up. He sat up quickly, the pillow flying across the bed and to the floor in the process. He didn't have any time to either argue with himself or force himself to think about something else, though. At that moment, a certain energy quickly began approaching, and he'd barely blinked before he was suddenly tackled back down on the bed by his son.

"Oomph!" he cried, making Dan giggle as he climbed on top of him and threw his arms around his mother's neck.

"Mom! Why weren't you home earlier?" Dan playfully scolded, with an equally playful glare playing on his face.

Danny genuinely smiled. "I was just helping out one of the student teachers, and..." he trailed off as he spotted Vlad in the doorway, suspicious clear in his sharp lapis lazuli orbs. The younger half-ghost rolled his eyes, though he felt his waning blush return for a second.

"What's the student teacher like?"

"Oh, she's -"

"Wait, I forgot to tell you! Our new teacher's so stupid! They were just getting the counselors and substitutes being our teachers instead of Ms. Riley, but now there's this new lady and she's..."

The half-ghost mother sighed and relaxed on the bed with his son sitting atop his chest. He'd get tired soon enough, after talking up a storm and flying around the house in a hyperactive fit. It was pretty late, after all. Danny smiled, though after a while he had to force himself to keep it up.

Vlad's silent, piercing eyes still in the doorway were easy to ignore, but his son's acceptance of his lies did nothing to ease his guilt.

* * *

"Yeah... Yeah, I know... Alright, I'll talk to you later... Love you too. Bye!"

"Was that Danny again?" Danielle asked in a drawn-out, teasing voice. Valerie threw a couch cushion at her.

"Shh! Jenna's going to hear you!"

Danielle rolled her eyes and snorted in mock-laughter. "Oh, right. I forgot about your Romeo and Juliet secret love affair thing going on."

Valerie sighed. It was true; the girl was referring to the "secret romance" that Danny had first suggested and which she had insisted they keep up once they had realized their relationship was in for the long haul. She had been the suggested to keep it up a little longer for a number of reasons. Of course, there was her job, as always, but Danny had proved more than capable of protecting himself, to her surprise. She had told him it was for publicity's sake, and that was partially true as well – he had more than enough of that with simply living under Vlad's roof, after all. But the most important reason was the very billionaire himself.

She didn't want to insist on bringing their relationship out into the open when things could be kept simpler this way. She could protect Danny from Vlad without even trying or arousing any suspicion as long as nobody knew they were dating. Vlad had been... strange since they had met again. Suspicious, _jealous_ even, and it didn't bode well with Valerie. She felt like there was something more going on than what Danny claimed was just Vlad being overprotective, but she'd exploded with her paranoia so often by now that she'd trained herself to ignore it.

Besides, there was something... _exciting_ about all the secrecy. She knew they were both adults and that she should've grown out of that high one got whenever there was a risk of getting caught, but she couldn't help it.

And then there was Danny's son, who was simply a rabid little thing when it came to his father dating people. It was only logical, though Valerie was certainly grateful that Jenna wasn't quite so nefarious about Valerie's affairs. On Jenna and Dan, she was certainly happy to see how the friendship between the two continued to bloom. They were practically stuck like glue at this point, though they seemed to always have some sort of inside joke being kept from the adults. Valerie wasn't worried with the honest relationship she and her daughter had, however. And if it was Danny's son, then she knew Dan couldn't be too bad an influence.

Really, though, Danny was very sweet to her. Even back in high school, he hadn't changed a bit in his ability to make her feel like the only person in the world. And now that there were no jealous goth best friends in the picture, it was only the two of them.

With a sigh, Valerie shook her head and looked around the makeshift office as she tried to distract herself. Posters of ghosts with their differing energy levels listed, diagrams of their different compositions, even a map of the Ghost Zone (courtesy of Danielle) adorned the office. The younger woman in question was sitting at another desk across the small room, clicking through her email.

The years had changed her, and Valerie couldn't help but think that she would look so much more worn if they hadn't found each other when they did. As it was, Dani was as strong as they came, and not just because of her ghost powers. She'd had a crappy life, which wasn't made lesser by the twelve initial years that she had failed to live through because of her origins. That particular story had been the breaking point for Valerie – to know that Plasmius had rejected such a brilliant, good, wholesome person. One who had just been a little girl at the time!

It was his lies when giving her her ghost-hunting gear, coupled with the even greater lies he had fed to what was essentially his own _daughter_ - !

Valerie took a deep breath and relaxed again. It was a sort of bad habit, that she always got like this when she thought in depth about that horrible man. Oh, there would come a day when she would be able to tear that filthy ghost apart and -

The blare of the ghost alarms inside the house made her jump in her seat, but Valerie lost no time in activating her gear and jumping into the air on her jet-sled.

"Dani, what -"

"Valerie, look out!"

It was a short-notice warning, but it was enough to make her dodge an incoming ecto-blast – one which had burned a hole clear through the wall.

"It's a whole gang of level three ghosts. One of them's level six, though, and another's level seven but with unstable energy," Danielle read from one of the room's monitors.

"But why are they attacking the house?" Valerie asked as she tried to read the location of the ghosts on her high-tech goggles.

"Because they're not mindless drone ghosts! They're -"

Another explosion rocked the house and a shriek sounded from upstairs.

"Jenna!" both Dani and Valerie exclaimed. Valerie gasped as a green ectoblast whirred past her ear, and her eyes narrowed in anger. She let a set of more powerful engines pop out of her jet-sled.

"Dani, I need you to take her of Jenna while I lure them away from the house!"

Danielle nodded, a determined look on her face as she transformed into her ghost half and phased through the roof.

Valerie blasted them with a red ghost ray and gave them her most challenging of smirks, to which they responded just as she'd hoped. With malicious grins poised on their faces, they multitude of identical ghosts chased after her. What appeared to be the head ghost took the lead, white-skinned and dressed in white from head to toe – she vaguely recognized him, maybe from the ghost attacks back when she was a teenager, but she had no time to dwell on it as they increased their speed and she was forced to follow suit.

She couldn't help but think about how easy it was turning out to be to lure _all_ of the attacking ghosts away from her house so quickly, almost as if they were after her in particular. It made her uneasy, and she threw blasts behind her without reserve.

Her heart jumped into her throat and she gasped as a blue-skinned ghost with an eye patch materialized before her, sending an ecto-blast her way and destabilizing her. She fell several feet before she called her jet-sled back to her and righted herself again, but barely had time to catch her breath before the swarm of malevolent spirits charged at her from the side, forcing her to head towards the outskirts of town. She could do little but blast blindly behind her and skid around the jagged edges of the mountain she was gliding next to.

Just as they neared the cliff that overlooked the town in their chase, the white ghost flew ahead at unexpected speeds then stopped. He held an unrolled glowing piece of parchment in front of him, and his toothy grin let her know he had utmost confidence in whatever he was planning. Valerie quickly reached for one of her ghost traps, but a sudden light blinded her and she halted in mid-air against her better judgement. She squinted through partially-closed lids and managed to make out the swarm of ghosts quickly disappearing into a portal, the white-skinned ghost taunting her with his evil smirk before disappearing into it himself. The closing of the portal let her see again, but it only let her see red as she realized the myriad of ghosts that had threatened her home and family had gotten away.

Valerie growled in rage, blasting at nothing and ignoring her still faintly-beeping ghost radar. When she finally became too bothered with the incessant sound, she quickly checked the device on her wrist and spotted the two single dots on the screen. Anxious to see if any of the ghosts that had been pursuing her hadn't managed to escape, she locked the nearby ecto-signatures of the two into her system and followed the coordinates. It wasn't any of the ghosts she had been hoping her, but what she actually spotted was even better.

She halted abruptly and studied the scene before her. It was Vlad Plasmius who sat on the cliff, watching a little cloaked ghost flying around a few feet above him – almost frolicking, really. Her eyes narrowed, and a malevolent smirk made its way onto her face.

"Hello, misplaced aggression..." she said to herself in a deadly tone before taking off after the two ghosts.

* * *

It was month three of Dan's house arrest, and Vlad had finally given in to lifting his punishment for the whole fire fiasco at school. Without Danny's knowledge, of course. For all Dan's mother knew, Dan was currently at his grandparents' house being bored to a full death by his grandfather's stories, which had ceased being interesting when he was around eight. Vlad never could stand grounding the boy or taking away privileges; everyone made mistakes sometimes, after all, and Dan was no exception.

The man watched from his seat at the edge of the cliff as the young half-ghost pirouetted through the sky, conjuring up a shield for him to bump into whenever he strayed too far for Vlad's liking. Looking up at the sky, Vlad frowned and called out to the boy.

"Dan, it looks like rain. I think it's time to go home, now."

The ten year old stopped and looked up as well, glaring at the clouds which were starting to block out the stars. "It's just rain! Can't we just stay for an hour more?"

"Do you want your mother mollycoddling you for a week straight after you get sick?"

Dan's eyes widened, and he glared at the ground before descending.

"Actually, Dan," Vlad paused, and the boy looked hopefully up at him. "I was thinking... before heading home, maybe we could..." With a fanged grin, he procured a football seemingly out of nowhere. Dan's expression was not one of amusement.

"No, Dad. I've told you a million times, I _hate_ football!"

"Oh, we'd just be throwing it around a bit -"

"No!"

The man sighed, an irritated frown making its way onto his face. "Well, fine, son. If you want to continue to be un-American..."

The boy grinned. "_Vashe imya ne amerikanskiĭ, papa_."(1)

Vlad rolled his eyes. "Dan, that's -"

"And our cars are un-American, too, right?"

"Well, yes, but -"

"And -"

Dan yelped as something hot whirred past his ear and impacted the ground next to him, knocking him off his feet.

"Dan!" Vlad called out, quick to rush over to the fallen half-ghost.

They both stared at the crater next to them, their instincts screaming danger at them. As always, Dan didn't hesitate to choose a fight over flight approach.

"Who's shooting at us? We have to get 'em back! We have to -"

Vlad cut him off by grabbing him tightly around the waist and flying them out of the way of another speeding blast. This time around, he recognized the color of the ecto-ray, and his enhanced senses quickly picked the threat out of the sky.

"Ah, the homewrecker. How delightful." Dan stared quizzically at his dad, but was interrupted before he could say anything. "Change of plans, son. We can't go home with her following us, so we just have to lose her. Now, I want you to be _very careful_ and keep a hold of me at all times."

Dan's face hardened as his dad kept handing out instructions. Obviously, his father still thought he couldn't take care of himself. He knew how to fly away _and_ fight! Why should he have to always hold his dad's hand when -

A more violent barrage of rays came their way as Valerie finally got within point-blank distance of the two of them. Dan instinctively threw up a shield, though it ended up under his father's own as the older half-ghost did the same, holding tightly onto the boy so that the grip actually started to feel a bit painful. Without any sort of warning, Vlad sent two clone to fight the huntress and used the distraction to take off into the sky with Dan in tow.

Despite the danger, Dan began to struggle. "Dad, you're squishing me!"

Vlad looked down at the squirming boy in irritation. "Stop that, Dan, I have to concentrate." A few raindrops began to wet the two half-ghosts' faces, before a downpour began to flatten Vlad's hair. "Oh, cinnamon sticks!"

Dan felt his hair flicker meekly under his hood from the pouring rain. He kept wriggling in his father's arms. "I can fly, too!"

"I don't _care_, we're getting chased down by a ghost hunter, it's raining, and I'm not risking you flying too slow. We can argue about this later."

Dan's red eyes glowed more intensely as he took insult to the statement. At that moment, one of Vlad's duplicates managed to land a shot that blasted the huntress off her jet sled. Out of the corner of his eye, Dan caught Valerie flying through the air, about to crash into a nearby group of houses. Suddenly, Dan closed his eyes tightly as a sharp and familiar pain erupted in his head.

"_I suppose out of respect for our past I should let you live," he drawled, not a hint of sympathy in his voice. Then, he abruptly grabbed her by the utility belt around her chest. "But that's not how I work." And with that, he launched Valerie through the air to crash into the ruins of a nearby building._

Vlad gasped and braked in mid-air when he felt his son phase right out of his grip. But it didn't feel like normal intangibility. "Dan!" he yelled, looking around frantically and trying to sense the boy before Valerie could right herself again. He did sense Dan, and his eyes widened when his ghost sense led him to a cloud of green smoke with a pair of red pupil-less orbs for eyes.

Scared, Dan struggled to gain form again, but he just couldn't! He hadn't meant to do that! He had just freaked out over the... vision thing, and... and...

"D-Dad? Dad, help!"

It was all the distraction Valerie needed after she had called her jet sled back to catch her. And with Vlad's concentration gone, his clones were no longer an issue. Directly in her line of vision was a strange green cloud, which her radar read as the small ghost who had been with Plasmius and who was doing a delightful job sidetracking the man. It would be the easiest target to take down, stationary as it was, so she shot at it – only to have her ray go straight through it!

Dan gasped as he watched the pink ray pass straight through his... apparently intangible body, which had yet to gain form again. His eyes widened as the ray collided with his dad, who had been flying full-speed towards him without paying attention to Valerie. His father was blasted into a building with an 'oomph!' on his part.

That was enough to make Dan forget about his vision altogether, and he even managed to regain his form as his temper rose. His cloak, however, didn't rematerialize with him, but he didn't notice. "Sorry, Ms. Gray, but nobody hurts my dad!"

Valerie smirked when she saw the young ghost fly towards her, and her suit automatically took pictures of his unhooded form to add to her database. "It looks like I just did, ghost!" she snapped back as she countered one of his shots with her own, dodging the erratic barrage of ecto-blasts and shooting her own dead-on ghost ray his way. Dan tried to throw up a shield, but he barely managed to flicker a semblance of one before he was blasted through the sky.

Vlad recovered and quickly spotted the two dueling forms in the sky. His red eyes burned vividly in paternal rage as he flew straight towards the woman. "Get away from him! He's a _child_!"

He shot a red ball of plasma at her, and she was blasted through the air several feet away. Vlad went right after her, and her jet sled took the brunt of the next angry blast before she was dodging and flying towards the ghost again.

"He's not a child, he's a ghost! And you'd know all about hurting kids, wouldn't you, _Vlad_?"

He didn't let the strange words faze him. He simply kept blasting at her and blocking her own blasts until he was within hand-to-hand combat distance, where they began a strange dance between themselves. Vlad was skilled in his aim and managed to do quite a number on Valerie's protective suit, but Valerie had been perfecting martial arts for twenty-three years now and managed to dodge most of his attacks once the element of surprise was gone.

Out of Vlad's line of sight, Valerie readied a device on her wrist and waited for him to try and land a punch again. "I'm finally gonna take you down, Plasmius," she whispered excitedly. Then, she plunged the dart-like ghost weapon straight into his arm.

Vlad hissed at the sensation, and called ectoplasm back into his hands... but nothing happened. He had no other warning before he suddenly found himself quickly losing altitude. "My powers!" A familiar yelp caught his attention. "DAN!"

Looking up into the sky, he didn't notice the ground come up until he crashed into it, forming a crater in the middle of the street. He tried to take flight again, but found himself unable and suddenly weak-kneed. Looking up again, he saw Valerie hot on Dan's ghostly tail, and his son was flying at a dangerously slow speed. Drenched in mud from his fall, he began to follow after them on foot, at the same time clawing frantically at his arm to try and get whatever Valerie had shot into him out of his system. He could feel the device embedded in his ghostly flesh, and he quickly felt ectoplasm from the broken skin as he kept clawing desperately at the spot. Fortunately, his current state gave him speed – for, with no powers and his son in danger, he had _never_ been so panicked in his life.

Meanwhile, Dan was also struggling to remove one of Valerie's devices from himself, but he was also trying to hold back his screams; if he screamed, then his system would go into panic mode, and his mother would know he was in danger – and Jenna's mom didn't like Phantom, either. His whole torso was _burning_, though! Valerie had thrown a little metal ball at him, and the moment it had touched him, metal bands had wrapped tightly around him and began shocking him. It was taking all he had to keep in his screams and keep flying in the direction of his Aunt Jazz, the closest house where he'd be able to turn back to human.

He knew he was slowing down dramatically as he failed to tear the metal bands off himself. He was also having trouble squinting through the pouring rain, the wild flickering of his dampening hair obstructing his vision as well. In the distance, he spotted Aunt Jazz's house, and he would've sighed in relief were it not for the horrible shocks still coursing through him. He whimpered, unintentionally stopping in mid-air. He let himself begin to drop to the ground, knowing Valerie was not far behind him and hoping to avoid her. Tears of pain came to his eyes as he began a permanent series of whimpers and whines from the bands still wrapped around him. He shot the most powerful blast he could manage, hoping it would distract Valerie long enough for him to make it to the ground and turn back to human, but the effort it took was too much.

Dan finally screamed, a long and desperate cry. In fact, a few tiny waves of sound made their way from his vocal cords and smashed several windows that were nearby. Clawing so desperately at his chest, Dan never noticed blue rings wash over him. He only felt himself begin to fall, felt the sweet sensation of the pain finally ending, heard the sound of his name being called echoing in his aching head.

Strong arms caught him just about ten feet from the pavement. He opened tired blue eyes to see his father's mud-covered face – and he looked _scared_. His dad was _never _scared of _anything_! Feeling a cold wetness at his neck, he twisted his head around, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw green ectoplasm drenching his father's arm and being washed down to the ground by the ever-falling rain. "Dad?"

Vlad flew towards an alley and descended gently to the ground without a word, looking in the direction of Danny's sister's house with apparently the same thought in mind that his son had had earlier. He couldn't clone himself, could barely use the most basic powers at the moment – there was still some of that _whatever_ it was in his system from Valerie's wrist device, so everything had to be played very carefully. He was trying to formulate a plan, but he could only try and keep himself looking collected at the moment – he'd seen Valerie drop her gun in shock, and he had seen what she had seen just before Dan fell from the sky.

Hearing the familiar sound of a jet sled approaching, Dan suddenly felt his anger build up and his eyes glow scarlet. He immediately began to struggle in his dad's hold, trying in vain to call his exhausted ghost half forth again. He put one hand on his horribly aching ribs while the other pushed at his dad's chest.

"Dan, stop!"

"Let me go, Dad!" he snapped as he kicked his legs in an attempt to get free.

"Stop it, Dan! You're hurt!"

"I'm fine!"

"_Dan_?" a woman's voice snapped them both to attention, both sets of eyes equally wide. To Dan's surprise, Vlad did put him down, only to immediately move in front of him as if to shield him.

Valerie looked at the boy, peeping behind the older ghost's back, in horror. She lifted her visor as if to confirm that it wasn't foggy vision playing tricks on her."Y-You transformed? You're a – a _ghost_? And I've been letting scum like _you _hang around my little girl?"

"Don't you dare call him _scum_, you trigger-happy nut!" Vlad barked, one hand holding on to Dan behind him while the other charged with pink ectoplasm and aimed threateningly at the woman.

Valerie realized the threat and pointed a gun in each hand at both of them, one an ecto-gun and the other fizzling with electric energy. That was enough to make Vlad dispel his own ectoplasm – his son was just behind him, after all, and one wrong move with this psychotic woman...

"Shut up! I know all about you, _Masters_!" Vlad looked as if he had been slapped. "I know how Danielle was born! And... and you experimented on Danny's kid, didn't you? That's why he's like this!" The whine of her guns as they charged up made both half-ghosts' faintly-beating hearts jump. Meanwhile, the older man was at a loss for what to say. She... she knew?

"Dad..." Dan whined almost inaudibly, urging his father to do _something_.

"Look," Vlad began, eyeing the guns warily and preparing to shield his son at all costs. "You are jumping to insane conclusions. You are aiming your gun at a _child_. That wretched half-ghost girl was in an accident, she's not really -" A warning blast struck him in the chest, pushing the two half-ghosts back a few feet, but Vlad stood his ground and didn't vocalize his pain save for a grunt. Behind him, Dan grabbed tightly onto his father's cape.

"Don't you _dare_ talk about Danielle, you... you..." Valerie stuttered in her fury. Suddenly, something flying quickly towards them in the corner of her vision startled her. Thinking it was another clone, she fired both guns.

Three things happened: the first was the Fenton Boooomerang slamming rather painfully into Vlad's head, the second was both of Valerie's shots crashing into a green shield, and the third was Danny Phantom touching down to stand protectively in front of Vlad and Dan.

His eyes were glowing scarlet, his silver claws were out, and his fangs were bared; the look of pure worry on his face didn't match his terrifying appearance. "Valerie, don't hurt him! Whatever you're thinking, it's not like that! _He's_ _not a bad ghost_!"

"Phantom?" she breathed, sick of all of these surprises while her mind still tried to catch up with everything being thrown at her. "You – I knew it! You're working with Plasmius!"

"Valerie, listen to me -"

"And after _you_ were the one to warn me about him all those years ago! I TRUSTED YOU!"

"Look, I can -"

"And I _know_ he's not just a ghost at all, and that's why _Masters_ made Dani like him!"

"W-What? You mean -"

"And you probably helped him do whatever he did to Danny and Sam's son to make him the same way!"

"HE'S _MY_ SON, VALERIE!"

Valerie swallowed down her next retort, goosebumps shooting up her spine at his furious tone of voice. She stared at him with guns still poised yet slack, eyes drifting between the three males. "W-What?"

Dan braved moving to his father's side as he looked at his mother, while Vlad simply shook his head in alarm when he realized what Danny was planning.

"Daniel, don't!" the man hissed urgently.

That made Valerie snap out of her confused stupor, and she leveled her guns again with a hard glare. "That's it, I am ending you two ghosts right now!"

With her brain now on saturated, all thinking left her, and she sent a mental message to her suit and three cubes emerged before they began firing pink rays. Danny erected a shield with not a second to spare.

"STOP!" Danny yelled, but Valerie was steely in her resolve.

"You ghosts have fooled me for the last time!"

She reached into her belt and pulled out a large ecto-gun, and Danny's eyes widened a fraction before he forced ice around his shield to further protect against the barrage of attacks. His continuous protests went unheard, and he became angrier with each passing second.

Danny could barely concentrate with the loud sound of rain bouncing off his shield from all sides. On top of that, there was Vlad and Dan yelling in the background, Vlad letting off a stream of loud pastry-related curses while Dan simply struggled against his father's tight hold. A yelp and a growl told Danny that Dan had bitten the older half-ghost, and he finally had enough.

His shield suddenly dispersed in an explosion of energy, pushing Valerie back and making her skid against the wet asphalt for a couple feet. Shaking from his previous efforts to keep up the shield and the overall rage that his current lover was hurting the two other half-ghosts, he approached her until he was kneeling next to her, shaking sopping white hair out of his eyes so he could meet hers. He didn't even bother to correct all the thoughts running through his head that were screaming at him to _protect my mate, protect our offspring, do whatever it takes_.

The man took her glare head-on and he glared right back. "You're. Hurting. My. Family!" he barked.

She was understandably tense as he hovered above her, his aggressiveness displayed in full, claws a mere foot away from her face, while all she had was a hastily pointed wrist-gun. "_Your_ family? That is Danny Fenton's son!"

Red eyes bore into her olive ones, and his face unexpectedly softened, the words making a wave of coldness wash over him. He swallowed thickly, though at this point... there was only one thing to do. She knew about Plasmius, after all. And about Dan. And...

And he had to choose. He had to make the right choice, not the easy one. Not only because he couldn't keep doing this to her, or to Dan, but because it was the right thing to do.

Maybe he could talk his way through this? Protect Vlad and Dan _and_ still be with her? At least convince her not to hate him... No. If she hated him, it would be well-deserved after lying to her for so long about _everything_.

Danny saw her hand move towards her belt, her patience dwindling. Before he could lose his courage, he let blue rings wash over him, and in Phantom's place stood Danny Fenton with eyes still just as red as Phantom's. He silently cursed the fact that his claws also remained, his instincts obviously not convinced that the danger had passed.

He sighed away the weight of the world. "_My _family, Valerie. _My _son."

Pausing to reign in her shock, Danny looked at her with a sober expression.

Valerie was frozen in place, her wide eyes holding shocked and betrayed tears in them which she only knew were there because of how hot they felt compared to the icy rain. As the seconds passed in still silence, Danny became nervous while she kept pointing her wrist-gun at him, her eyes flickering nervously from Vlad and back to him again. He shivered under the rain pelting his back and shifted onto his haunches, and she scrambled backwards like a cornered animal.

"Valerie," he mouthed more than whispered with a pained expression. Looking behind him at the single other ghost left, he gave Vlad a hard look.

"Change back, Vlad."

"A-Are you _insane_?" Vlad stuttered.

"_Do it!_" Danny barked in a frightening, commanding baritone. Vlad hesitantly complied, moving to stand next to the man and placing Dan behind the two of them once again. Logically, the woman already knew his secret, and his ghostly presence would only keep making things worse. On top of that, he could also feel the distress emanating from his mate in waves, and his son was in enough of a state of shock as it was. He supposed it only made sense to raise their metaphorical hands in a placating gesture.

"D-Danny? But... but I... you can't... you were..." she looked between Danny and Vlad, then down at Dan. Comprehension slowly dawned on her face as she finally sat up, her wrist-gun put away for the time-being. Another thick silence followed, which Danny ventured to break.

"When I was fourteen, I got shocked by my parents' ghost portal," he began, unnerved by Valerie's stare. "I got turned into a sort of... half-ghost. Vlad got shocked by a different portal twenty years before my accident. The same thing happened to him. The only thing I could come up with to use my powers for was to protect people, but I... I messed up a lot. I guess I didn't really know what I was doing sometimes, so I ended up looking like the bad guy. And I know you can think of a lot of times when I was just messing up left and right because I was inept with my ghost powers. I'm... I'm sorry. For all of what I accidentally did to you, and for never telling you who I was."

Valerie's eyebrows furrowed as she tried to process his statement. She opened and closed her mouth as if trying to figure out which question to ask first. After a while, the woman looked at Dan, who refused to even glance her way. "And Dan? He... got his ghost powers from you? He was born like that?"

Danny bit his lip, while the eldest half-ghost frantically shook his head. "For the love of God, Daniel..." he warned but Danny didn't look at him.

Valerie glanced at Vlad before speaking again, more to herself than to Danny. "Dan... he called Vlad 'Dad' earlier."

Dan's eyes widened and he looked down at the ground self-consciously. His father flinched and grimaced while Danny simply shut his eyes for a second. When he opened them again, they were back to their regular ice blue through his own conscious effort, and he could feel his claws slowly fade away into shapeless ectoplasm to be reabsorbed by his body. When he met her gaze, his eyes were sad as if his next words would be his farewell. In a way, he expected that they would be.

"Valerie... what I'm about to tell you is a secret," he said slowly, and took a deep breath. "Dan is my son. Mine and Vlad's. It's _because_ we're half-ghosts that we could – look, it's really complicated."

Valerie hesitated. "You – he's a _clone_?" she asked, thinking of Danielle.

Danny shook his head. "No, Valerie. He... he came from me. I'm..." Danny took another deep breath, glancing from his son to the ground and back to meet the woman's eyes. "Sam's not really his mother... because _I'm_ his mother. I-I had no control over it! Because we're half-ghosts, Dan was born from a ghost pregnancy and -"

Valerie made a strangled noise before jumping clumsily to her feet and backing away. If it had been any other situation, her expression would've been almost comical.

But there was nothing funny, or – or _normal _about this situation. It was just lie after lie after lie! Now, not only Vlad Masters, but also Danny, Danielle, _everyone_ had lied to her! There was no way Dani couldn't have known that her "cousin" was... was...

And how much of this did Jenna know? That would explain the secrecy when it came to Dan... Oh no, her own _daughter_ had lied to her! And all because of this... this ghost kid! It was because of these three half-ghosts that she was constantly being made a fool. And Danny – he had played with her heart, ripped it apart, and stomped on it. The man had been lying about everything, he was the biggest liar of all – from Dan's parents, to his ghost half, to being... romantically involved with... with _Vlad Masters_!

_I'm going to be sick_, she thought, a sharp pain building in her chest and tears stinging her eyes both from anger and heartbreak. Fortunately, the rain covered up her grief perfectly. She backed away as fast as she could, calling her jet sled to materialize. She had to run away, she had to leave _now_!

Just as she got into a hovering position, she heard footsteps pounding on the wet pavement. "Ms. Gray, please don't tell anyone about me or my parents!" a child's voice pleaded behind her. Valerie turned back to look at her child's best friend before she chanced one last glance at the raven-haired man who had ruined her life on more than one occasion. She quickly turned away.

"Fine." She paused. "But stay away from my daughter. And don't you dare come near me again, Fenton, because we're _through_."

The engines on her jet sled roared to life, and soon nothing was left of her but the pink plasma that trailed behind her.

The three half-ghosts stood in silence, until Danny managed to push past his feelings and approached his son. He studies the metal bands around his chest for a second before calling ectoplasm into his hands and effortlessly tearing them apart. He flinched from the shock he received from them, while Dan grimaced at the pressure on his shoulders when the bands came apart. That done, Danny conjured up an ectoplasmic umbrella for his son and touched the boy with an intangible hand to dry him off.

"Hold this, Dan. I don't want you getting sick," he said softly.

Dan complied and grabbed the makeshift umbrella. "I wanna go home..." he whispered and looked at the ground.

"Yeah, we're going, buddy." He turned and looked at Vlad, who was once again in his ghost form and trying to conjure up his own umbrella to protect himself from the rain. Danny's brows furrowed when he saw the man was unable to shape the ectoplasm in his hand, and he grimaced when he noticed the green ghost blood running down his arm.

Feeling eyes on him, Vlad stopped his efforts and caught Danny staring at his arm. "It's nothing. It was some type of poison-dart, probably using the same electrical currents as the Plasmius Maximus," Vlad looked down at his arm, ignoring the dull throbbing pain of the wound. "Fascinating, really. As soon as we get home I should -"

"Are you okay?"

Vlad looked up, only to see Danny was suddenly much closer than he had anticipated. "Yes, of course." He paused. "Daniel... you shouldn't have come. Things did not turn out like they were supposed to, and -"

"I shouldn't have come? _You_ called _me_, Vlad!" he snapped, in reality angry at the man because of how... abnormal the feeling of being called like that had been, and how weird it was that he had automatically known it was Vlad who was in trouble.

The older man stared at him with a strange expression. "What do you mean, I called you?"

"I was hoping you'd enlighten me, since you're the one who did it!"

"Are you sure it wasn't the boy?"

"Yes, Vlad! Dan didn't call me until after I was already on my way! Are you seriously so proud that you can't admit you needed my help?"

The man opened his mouth, then closed it again as he remembered that moment of desperation after he lost his powers. And Jack's ridiculously named tracking device, which hadn't bumped into their son, but into himself. "...If I did call to you, it was unintentional." His eyes suddenly narrowed as he continued, his voice escalating with every word. "In fact, it was probably yet _another_ sign of our relationship as _soulmates_. Because _I_ am your soulmate, Daniel! _Not_ that woman who tried to waste us all!"

"You've got no right to be angry about her, Vlad, when it was all your fault that you didn't give me my space!"

"And once again, you're blaming _me_ for your immaturity and inanity!"

"What were you even doing out here? Dan was _supposed_ to be at my parents' house in the first place!"

"I WANNA GO HOME!" Dan screamed before his father could reply, sick of the constant yelling and fighting. He wanted it all to go away! All he could think about was about his current inability to go ghost, Valerie's last words telling him to stay away from Jenna, how she had called him scum solely because he was half-ghost, and all the things she had accused his father of. Because they were ghosts.

Danny glared at Vlad for a second longer before transforming back into Phantom. In a second, he ripped the bottom of his cape off and began wrapping it around Vlad's arm. "Can you fly?" he asked without looking up from his bandaging.

"Yes," Vlad replied slowly, watching Danny tend to his wound. He eyed the man cautiously as if he were a bomb about to go off.

"Good. Because I wasn't planning on carrying your sorry butt back home." He phased the water off his body and grabbed Dan around the waist, no words of protest coming from his usually nonconforming son. He frowned at the boy's silence as he took the umbrella from him and shaped it to cover three people. After a moment of waiting, he looked at Vlad in annoyance. "Well?"

Vlad looked shocked for a second, but didn't say a word as he flew underneath the umbrella and the three took to the air in dejected silence.

* * *

**End Notes:** Not much Danielle in this one. Next chapter, however, she makes quite a hefty appearance.

I don't know how painfully obvious it was, but I've never really written a fight scene before. I tried my best, and hopefully the next one will be better. And I'm also pretty self-conscious about how "super" I made Valerie in this chapter. And how "un-super" I probably made Vlad. Ugh! Honestly, so much wrong with this chapter, but the main things I wanted to get across are in there...

Anyways, here's to wonderful readers, faster updates, and a lovely-looking review button?


	13. Subconscious Mind

**Notes:** I usually post reasons for delays in my profile, but just for those who missed it, sorry for the wait. My first year of college is almost done, and I've rarely been more relieved before in my life. I don't even have any idea how I managed to whip this up and edit it with the pressure of my scholarship riding me for all it's worth. Luckily, come May 6th it means almost four months of break and largely uninterrupted writing time!

As for the story itself? Incoming angst. Seriously. I always make myself to sort of "become" the character I'm writing, but with Danny, I just wanted to leave him to his own devices rather than dealing with his huge bucket o' problems. As a whole, this chapter was the hardest of anything I've written simply because so much needed to be addressed, and with every issue there were so many different feelings cropping up from such different characters.

* * *

**Chapter Twelve – Subconscious Mind**

"So you're really Dan's _mother_. You were pregnant with him."

"Yes."

"And Vlad's the father. He put his thing in your -"

"DANI!"

"Right. So he's your mate, then."

"No."

"...Okay, now you lost me again."

"For the last time, Dani! Yes, he got me pregnant with Dan. Yes, I get glowey-eyed under certain circumstances. No, he is not my mate because I am _not_ in love with the fruit loop!"

Danielle paused, a look of dawning comprehension painting her face before it was replaced with a reproving glare. "Oh. Now I get it. So Mr. Manly Fenton here is in denial, and you've been using my best friend to cover up for your insecurities." Her eyes glowed green, and Danny swallowed his sudden wariness.

"No! I would never do that to her!"

"So then how else do you explain it, Danny? I lived in the Ghost Zone for a while – enough to know that when two ghosts are mates, they're bonded to each other for afterlife. Only to each other." She shook her head. "It all makes sense now. The whole secret relationship between you two."

"Hey, it wasn't my idea to keep it up! I was ready to be open about us dating a month into it!"

"Oh? Then why did you want to make it a secret in the first place? It was _your_ idea." Danny was silent. "Well?"

Danny sighed. "Because I didn't want Vlad and Dan breaking us up. They both get _really_ jealous. If you knew some of the things they've done to some of my ex-girlfriends, you'd get it."

"And why are they jealous in the first place? It couldn't possibly be because you're not supposed to be dating other people, right?"

Danny's eyes flashed green in warning. "Danielle."

"Don't you 'Danielle' me," she snapped, then paused, a knowing smirk making its way onto her face that made Danny nervous. "Now it makes so much sense! If you won't give the fruit loop the time of day, then... of course, Desiree would be..." Her eyes widened, and she quickly covered her mouth, anxiously turning the other way.

The man eyed her suspiciously. "What was that?"

"What was what?"

"About Desiree!"

Danielle shook her head. "Nothing! Just – nothing! It's just... well, you hear things in the Ghost Zone, with some of the friends I've made."

"Dani, what -"

"And... well, you said it yourself, right? It's not like _you'd_ get jealous."

"Just tell me already!" Danny snapped, something bubbling strangely in the pit of his stomach as he tried to make sense of the words.

The clone took a deep breath. "Well... it's not like someone can't just wish Desiree to look like someone else, with the right motivation for her. And Vlad's always been good at bribery. If he's that desperate... I mean, it's probably because you don't pay attention to the gossip in the Ghost Zone much anymore, but..." She bit her lip.

The man took a second to take that in. Once the meaning sunk in, he rolled his eyes. "Yeah, okay. Vlad's way too obsessive to go for anyone else."

"Are you calling me a liar?" Danielle hissed.

His eyes flashed with uncertainty, his muscles tensing before he found himself growing angry. "This isn't funny, Danielle."

"Who said I was trying to be funny?" she retorted, anger lacing her own dead-serious voice.

Danny stared skeptically at her, yet his resolve was slowly crumbling as the debatably untrue situation wound itself into his mind. Vlad would never be that desperate! Especially when he had Danny right under his roof, free to subtly molest whenever he didn't mind acquiring new bodily harm.

...Then again, this was the man who created a complex hologram program of his mother back in the day and moved all the way to a town he hated from his secluded, luxurious Wisconsin home just to fulfill his obsession with Danny and Maddie.

"You're so full of shit, Dani," the man told her in an aggravated voice, reaching subtly for the phone in his pocket before he began composing an angry text message. But before he could hit send in a heat of the moment bad decision, Danielle phased the phone out of his hand. "Hey!"

"'You're a hypocrite,' blah blah blah, 'wish-granting ghost sluts,' she read, her tone as she did so doing nothing to keep Danny's blush down. "Easy on the caps lock there, Mr. Lovesick. And would it kill you to spell check?"

Danny snatched the phone back from his doppelganger, and Danielle was suddenly aware of how close the livid man was. "Get out, Dani," he hissed.

Danielle huffed indignantly. "Hey, I'm trying to help you!"

"Well, you're not doing a very good job at it!"

"No, _you're_ just stubborn and in denial!"

"I AM NOT IN DENIAL!"

The man paused, eyes wide at how hysterical his pitch had sounded. His already vivid blush took a turn for the worse as Danielle stared at him with a triumphant expression. He sighed. "You were lying about Desiree, weren't you?"

"Yep. And I honestly can't believe you fell for it. You must be more in love with Vlad than I thought."

Danny sent her a weak glare, sitting down at the kitchen bar again. "I'm done arguing about this, Dani. It's none of your business."

"But -"

"But you came here to talk about Valerie, didn't you?" Danny snapped.

That seemed to sober the younger woman up, and her expression fell into a nervous one as she avoided his gaze. Sighing, she sat down next to him and ran her fingers along the shapes in the marble countertop. "...Well, you obviously know we had a fight. She threatened to kick me out, but Jenna got kind of hysterical and Valerie kind of told her that she wasn't _really_ kicking me out. So I thought it'd be best for both of us if I just stepped out and let her deal with Jenna first."

"And she obviously talked about me, since the first thing you said when you came by was that I was a jerk for not telling you that I'm 'gay for Vlad and have a ghost womb.'"

Danielle smiled sheepishly. "Hey, what kind of cousin hides the fact that they carried a kid for nine months? You know, I _was_ mad about that, but I realize that it makes sense you didn't tell me. I wouldn't have told me either. I live with Valerie, after all."

"Actually, I was thinking more about how involved Vlad was in the whole Dan deal..."

The two remained silent for a moment, each contemplating the billionaire with varying degrees of confusion and contempt.

"You don't hate Dan now, do you?" Danny joked to break the tension.

"Well, maybe I would've a little if I had known Vlad was the father from the get-go, but he's still a cute kid," she said with a smile. Danny got the feeling that she wasn't entirely joking with the statement. Danielle sighed, and even though it pained her to talk about her argument with the woman she had grown to consider a sister, it was preferable to talking about the man who had created her and then thrown her away.

"Anyways... Valerie was pretty mad. She started accusing me about – well, _everything_ she could think of. You know how she is." Danny snorted and nodded. "I obviously had to tell her I knew you were half-ghost – that it wasn't my secret to tell and that's why I never told her about it. Let's just say that wasn't what she wanted to hear. She didn't really let me get a word in after that."

"I'm sorry," Danny said with a weary sigh. "This is honestly, completely my fault. I should have told her. I should have told her _so_ long ago."

"What, you really think she would've reacted much better? Valerie doesn't like ghosts, Danny. It's plain and simple. Trust me, she barely tolerates _my_ ghost half. You think your parents are bad? No way."

"You seriously think it's not as bad as it can get with the Vlad thing piled on top of everything? I mean, I know I was stupid and everything, but I really did – _do_ care about her!"

Danielle raised a skeptical eyebrow, and was about to reply when her cell phone went off. Looking at the caller ID, her eyebrows shot up in surprise and she answered before the phone could ring a second time.

"Valerie? I..."

...

"I can?" She gave a relieved smile, and Danny couldn't help but also sigh in relief at what was surely good news.

...

"Okay, I swear I can explain _everything_ if – wait, you're not waiting for me with an arsenal of ghost weapons lined up, are you?"

...

"Well, I'm sorry if I'm a bit nervous about coming home to someone who might or might not want my head on a platter!"

...

"Right, sorry. Still kind of mad about earlier."

...

"Right. I'll see you."

She ended the call, and in a flash of blue rings she transformed into her ghost half. Danny stood up and put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure she _won't_ be waiting for you ready to tear you apart molecule by molecule?"

The woman rolled her eyes. "Yes, mother. I'll be fine."

"Alright..." Danny said hesitantly, before quickly hugging her. "Call me if you need something, okay?"

She nodded. "And I promise I'll try to fix things between you guys."

"No. If you're going to fix _anything_, try and get the okay for Jenna to see Dan, okay? Please," he said, sincerity and even a pleading edge in his voice_. _Of course, Danielle understood and nodded before phasing through the kitchen wall.

* * *

Valerie's talk with Jenna after Danielle had been essentially kicked out had been a disaster – and that was an understatement. Just as Valerie had suspected, her daughter had been all too aware that Dan was a ghost, but she had been aware of nothing else – not of Vlad, or Danny, or Dan's parentage. Apparently, Dan hadn't even really told her he was half-ghost, but rather she'd found out because of the boy's eyes or something along those lines.

When Valerie had asked about it, Jenna had said the exact same thing Danielle had about Danny – that it wasn't her secret to tell. Long after Jenna had run up to her room crying, Valerie was kicking herself for having let her emotions grip her with such intensity and, in turn, upsetting her little girl like she had. The amount of yelling involved had been uncalled for. And then there was Danielle...

But how was she _supposed_ to deal with this? Everyone she knew had lied to her, those she was closest to! Dammit, she had _loved _Danny! She had been so sure that they'd take things to the next level any day now, but he had gone and ruined it!

No, he had ruined it the day he had led her to believe he wasn't Phantom. He had ruined it since they were fourteen years old. She didn't even really care that he was a ghost as much as she did about the fact that he had lied to her like he had. Even worse, that he had _used_ her, had led her on while he was in some sort of... twisted relationship with a man nearing his sixties! She supposed it fit – a ghost for a ghost, giving birth to a ghost. She had no place in Danny's life, and now that she knew what she did, she intended to keep it that way.

Valerie sighed and held in yet another cascade of furious, heartbroken tears.

_I won't cry for a **ghost**, _she thought, though her resolve crumbled just a little as she heard yet another loud wail coming from upstairs. Jenna had been crying on and off for hours, and refused any comfort or apologies form her mother.

Instead of dwelling on that, she walked over to the window and surveyed the skies. Danielle should've been back by now, assuming she had flown. Then again, Valerie had no idea where the woman was. For all she knew, she was with that _lying_ _ghost_, and he and _Plasmius_ lived on the other side of town. Either way, she was not looking forward to the upcoming yet necessary talk.

It had been painful realizing that she really hadn't meant to snap at Danielle like she did. She had been so sure she was furious at the woman for lying to her as well. But it wasn't her fault – it was all Danny. Danny and Vlad. Just judging by the way Jenna had reacted, Valerie knew she would never be able to really kick Danielle out. Not even for a day. And judging by Danielle's skepticism about coming home again, Valerie's inappropriate reaction was clearer than ever.

But maybe now that it was all over, she could forget about the whole thing and get on with her life, just as Danielle had without Plasmius. Maybe they could both just forgive and forget and move right on.

Danielle's first words as she phased into the house told Valerie that she would have no such luck.

"I know you don't want to talk about Danny, but we have to at least talk about Dan."

Valerie's eyes narrowed. "I was going to start by apologizing to you, but I guess I won't now. I have nothing to say about that family of _freaks_."

"Oh, so you're saying I'm a freak, too?" Danielle yelled.

"Shh! Keep your voice down!" the dark-skinned woman hissed. "I think Jenna's heard enough fighting for one day!"

The hybrid sighed exasperatedly before beginning again in a hushed voice. "You know, you lied to him, too. You never told him you knew about Vlad."

"Well, what was I supposed to say? 'Hey, Danny, not to scare you or anything, but you're living with a psychopathic man who's also a ghost and who's probably corrupting your kid as we speak!' Was that what you wanted me to tell him?"

"I'm just saying, you're not so innocent yourself, Valerie!"

"Oh? Believe me, Dani, you can't get any lower than cheating like he did. How do you explain him being with Plasmius while secretly dating me, hm? It's _sick_!"

"Ever stop to think that maybe he _isn't_ with Vlad? It's not as simple as who's dating who, Valerie! You know nothing about ghost mating -"

"I know enough about it to know that Danny – that Phantom knocked himself up with Plasmius DNA!"

"Oh, now who's yelling? Keep your voice down! You're right in saying it because I saw Jenna crying when I phased in earlier." Valerie winced, but Danielle kept going before she could be interrupted. "He didn't want to, Valerie! What kind of guy willingly gets himself pregnant? It was an accident, on both their parts! In fact, he doesn't even want to be with Vlad! It's a biological thing – he _has_ to be around him! More importantly, Dan has to be around Vlad in order to do as much as survive! That's the reason why Danny's even living under Vlad's roof!"

"If Phantom 'has' to be with Plasmius, then why was he with _me_?" the huntress demanded.

Danielle sighed. "Because he's an idiot," she conceded softly, and Valerie raised an eyebrow. "Just because he tells himself he doesn't want to be with Vlad doesn't mean he doesn't want to deep inside. Or that he doesn't love you, but in a different way than both of you thought... I'm sorry, Valerie."

The older woman grit her teeth and turned to look out the window, hiding the hurt on her face. "So it's true. He was with Vlad this whole time."

The hybrid rolled her eyes, fed up with explaining things and having them twisted around. "No, he wasn't. Not like you're thinking, anyways. He kept you a secret because he didn't _want_ to be with Vlad," she said, mentally adding that the latter statement wasn't as true as Danny thought it was. "And because he didn't want to lose you."

Valerie scowled, turning around again and directing a pained glare at the younger woman. "Well, it's too late now."

Danielle sighed dejectedly, turning back to her human form and sitting on the couch. "Yeah, it is." A pause. "But it's not the kid's fault, you know. He was born into this – he had no control over it. He doesn't even control the lies that he has to tell. He just follows what his parents say. These are big secrets the poor kid has to shoulder, Val."

The huntress scoffed. "Yeah, secrets that he unloaded onto my little girl. She knew he was a ghost - "

"Just like Danny's friends always knew he was a ghost and kept it from _their_ parents. They're just kids. They're not even teenagers yet. Why are you getting them involved in this?"

"I'm not going to let my little girl be put in danger! I'm not going to let her hang around a dirty ghost!"

"He's a little boy!"

"He's a ghost!"

"I'm running away!" Both women turned to look at the voice that had just spoken up over their steadily rising voices. There stood Jenna, her backpack in one hand and her travel case in the other.

"W-What?" Valerie stuttered.

"If I can't see my best friend anymore, then I'm running away! You can't stop me from seeing my cousin!"

"Cousin?" Danielle asked, confused.

Jenna turned to her with an obvious stare. "If Danny Phantom's your cousin, and if he's Dan's dad... uh, mom?" A momentary look of confusion crossed her face. "Whatever, we're still cousins! And family's the most important thing in the world! Mom said so!"

"You're not even really related to Dani, Jenna!" Valerie tried to reason. "And you're not going anywhere, young lady!"

"Yeah, I am!" she snapped back, defiantly opening the front door of the living room.

"Jenna Gray, I will drag your little butt back in here!" Tears welling up in the girl's eyes made Valerie immediately falter. "Oh, don't start crying again, baby!"

"I don't get it! He's my best friend! He's nice to me, he's not a bad ghost!"

There was a long, uncomfortable silence as Jenna stood sobbing on the doorstep. Danielle walked over to the girl and kneeled down next to her, whispering comforting words into her ear while smoothing back her curly hair. Valerie looked away from the scene, chewing on her bottom lip and wishing last night had never happened. Finally, enough was enough, and she spoke up.

"Things are going to change, Jenna."

"Mom!"

"I said things are going to change... Now, go upstairs and let me talk to Dani. I need to discuss how things are going to work out with you... still seeing Dan from now on," Valerie said, though her words seemed to pain her.

Jenna immediately stopped her crying, looking incredulously at her mother with hopeful, tearful eyes. Suddenly, she broke away from the half-ghost woman and hugged her mother tightly. "Thank you, Mommy! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Jenna, nothing's final yet. Now, go upstairs."

The girl didn't need telling twice, and she bounded up the stairs with a new spring in her step. Valerie sighed deeply, shaking her head in frustration. After a moment, she grabbed her cell phone from her pocket and threw it at Danielle, who barely caught it.

"Call him. Tell him to count himself lucky that I'm not making Jenna switch schools. I want no contact outside of what they already get in the classroom. The boy's not allowed in my house, and my daughter isn't allowed anywhere _near_ that hellhole Masters owns. She's not allowed near FentonWorks, either."

Danielle stared blankly at the woman's retreating back before she snapped back to attention. "No way! I'm not doing it! This is your fight, not mine."

Valerie stopped and glared at her. "It was your idea! Make up your mind already!"

The hybrid woman returned her glare, and without another word, she slammed the phone down on the table before going ghost and flying out the front door.

After several frustrated sighs and many minutes of staring uselessly at the cell phone on the table, Valerie finally picked up the wretched thing and dialed Danny Fenton's number for the last time.

* * *

Dan watched his mother's face fall with each word Ms. Gray uttered from the other end of the telephone, his supernatural hearing catching her cold tone but not enough words to make out what she was saying. His father's hearing though, much more developed than his, seemed to catch more of the conversation, and the hand on Dan's shoulder shook with restrained rage every now and then.

Finally, after only two short minutes with no chance for Danny to get a word in, the raven-haired man hung up the phone with a weary sigh.

"Well, that could've gone better," Danny mumbled, running a hand through his hair. He briefly glanced at Vlad before his gaze fell on the boy staring intently at him.

"What did she say?" Dan ventured. The hand on his shoulder tightened.

"Yes, Daniel, what _did_ the biggest mistake of your life say?"

Danny's eyes flashed green. "I swear to God, Vlad..."

The youngest half-ghost glared at the both of them before transforming and hovering between them. "WHAT DID SHE SAY?"

Both men winced. "Dan, don't yell," his mother scolded.

"Sorry," Dan muttered, not sounding sorry at all. "But what did she say about Jenna?"

That seemed to sober the younger man up. "Ah... well, you can still see your friend. And talk to her. But there's gonna be some... conditions."

"Conditions?" both Vlad and Dan repeated.

"Yeah. You're... not allowed over at the Gray's house anymore, Dan. And Jenna's not allowed here, either. Nothing outside classroom time. She's not even letting Jenna feed the class rabbit in the mornings on the same days as you."

Dan shook his head as the explanation sunk in. "N-No! But Mom, she sits all the way across the room during class because she talks too much! That means we'd only see each other at recess!"

"Yeah, I know, Dan."

"And what about us building stuff with Dad!"

"Dan, I -"

"And flying with her Aunt Dani!"

"DAN! I know, okay? But I didn't set the rules this time!"

The boy scowled, flying closer to his mom. "Well, tell Jenna's mom to change the rules!"

"Dan," a stern voice from behind him made him start. He turned towards his father. "Things are not going to change just because we want them to." Vlad's face softened, and the saddened expression on his father's otherwise blank face made him uneasy. "Son, some people just don't tolerate ghosts. That's a fact of life that you have to learn to accept. Valerie Gray is one of the dangerous humans that we've discussed; she hates that half of us. She's not going to be friends with your mother any more than she's going to change her mind about letting your friend come over."

The boy had a horribly distressed look in his eyes before that look turned into angry determination. He ignored Danny socking Vlad in the arm while hissing, "How can you be that blunt with him, you insensitive jerk!"

Dan quickly grabbed the living room phone from its cradle, dialing one of the few numbers that he'd actually committed to memory. As soon as he heard the click from the other line, Dan answered, "Hi, is Jenna there?"

That finally turned his parents' attention back to him, but he flew above their heads as they both simultaneously made to grab the phone from him. _"...You're the ghost kid, aren't you?"_

The young halfa frowned in confusion, both at her detached tone and at the way she addressed him. He ignored the cries from below him to hang up the phone. "It's Dan. Jenna's best friend," he answered in an obvious tone.

He heard a weary and annoyed sigh on the other end of the line. _"Just as well. I really didn't think your... mother_," she spat out the word with pure venom, "_would tell it to you like it is."_

"What -"

"_You have no right to call this house. The only reason Jenna isn't switching schools is for her sake, not yours or Danny's. I'm only doing this to keep her happy until she grows out of that friendship."_

"She's not gonna! Jenna said she'd always be my friend, and it's not fair that she can't come over now for no reason!"

"_Oh, there's a reason, alright. The reason is that you're a ghost, and you're a danger to my daughter – and Amity Park."_

Dan's eyes glowed ever more intensely as the conversation went on. He went intangible as his father, in his ghost form, went to grab the phone from him again. "I'm not gonna hurt anyone, though! And neither are my parents! What about our human sides? Jenna's Aunt Dani has a human side, too!"

She scoffed. _"Look, kid, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but your parents have already hurt people. Danielle is none of your business, but know that as a rule which she's proved time and again she's not a part of, ghosts are not good."_

"Yes, they are!" The boy grew more and more frustrated with the argument by the second, clenching the phone between his gloved hands harder than necessary as he turned into a green cloud of ectoplasm which neither of his parents could touch.

"_I don't have time for this! Look, you wanted an explanation for why I'm not letting you see Jenna like you want? It's because I'm sick of ghosts playing with me! I have more than enough evidence to know that ghosts are evil, and that's a fact! Don't call this number again."_

Dan stared at the phone as the dial tone made his sensitive ears buzz, a storm of emotion in his scarlet eyes which darted nervously around the room.

"_Ghosts are malevolent beings, usually described as ectoplasmic manifestations of post-human consciousness."_ That was what the books at school said, right? And the news reports and websites.

And the way his father described the word to him when he had asked what it meant not long ago...

Malevolent: malicious, wicked, hurtful.

Evil.

Dan flinched violently as he felt arms wrap around him, realizing he'd lost his unpracticed cloud form as the phone was taken from his hands. He phased out of his mother's black-suited arms and flew backwards until he bumped into the chandelier.

"I-I don't get it!"

His mother paused, a worried look clear on his face. His father's ghostly form suddenly floated up to hover next to the other man. "Dan, sweetie, it's going to be alright," his mom tried to comfort.

Dan could do nothing but shake his head in confusion. "I don't get it!" he repeated. "I never hurt Ms. Gray!"

"Of course you didn't!"

Finally, it was all too much, and Dan turned intangible before skyrocketing through the ceiling to lock himself away in his room.

* * *

"_Or I could just destroy you now and prevent this future," Vlad said, a crazed look in his eyes. "Didn't think of that, did you?"_

_Danny backed away a step, eyeing the Ghost Gauntlets with fear now. "N-No! I already stopped this future! ...Didn't I?"_

_In the second it had taken Danny to blink, the bearded Vlad was no more, and in his place was Plasmius, still holding the glowing Ghost Gauntlets and approaching him menacingly. Danny turned around to get away, but immediately bumped into a figure which then wrapped their arms around him. Softened red eyes met startled green ones, and Danny was hypnotized as those eyes turned a brilliant magenta. He could feel his own eyes turn red, and he exhaled happily as Vlad drew him in closer._

"_I won't turn into him, Vlad. I promised," he said quietly before leaning in and capturing his mate's lips in a soft kiss. He was in ecstasy, pure bliss before Vlad pulled away and looked him in the eye with a soft smile. A smile which quickly turned into a grimace and made Danny frown in confusion._

"_It's neither you nor I who are of importance here, Daniel. It is not what becomes of **us**, but rather the prevention of **this**!"_

_And then Vlad swiped at him. Gauntlets connected with his insides, where his chest was, and he felt something ripped violently from him. A familiar agony wracked Danny's body, tearing a scream from his throat, before it stopped just as abruptly as it had begun._

_Danny opened his eyes from his prone position on the floor of Vlad's decimated underground lab. He looked around for any sign of the billionaire, either aged or in his ghost form or otherwise. What he found instead, however, knocked the breath out of him._

"_...Dan?"_

_There, lying not two feet from him, was the unmistakable figure of his son, the same glow as the gaunlets surrounding his body before it faded away. His black hair was out of its messy ponytail and sticking to his pale face with a sticky red substance, which was also caked in a trail leading from his mouth. Blood._

"_No," Danny whispered incredulously, crawling over to his ten year old son and leaning down to move the hair out of his face. "Dan? Son? Honey, wake up!"_

_Taking the boy in his arms, Danny cradled him close to his chest and shook him a little to try and get a reaction. When he went to move hair out of his face again, he paused and realized he felt no breath being exhaled. His heart suddenly felt like it had ruptured, his core like it was on fire and burning him._

_A silent scream died in his throat and tears welled up in his eyes. "No, no, no, no, no..." he said over and over again. "This isn't – this is a dream, a nightmare, it's not **real**, it's -"_

"_Mommy!"_

_Danny quickly turned around to where he had heard his son's voice, only to scream at the face which was suddenly inches from his own._

_Glowing scarlet eyes with nothing but pure, unadulterated malice in them. Dead, dead eyes._

"_What's the matter, Mommy?" Dark Dan Phantom said in his normal baritone, a smirk drawing up on his lips. "Don't you like me now that I'm all grown up?"_

_Danny shook his head frantically and choked on a sob. He went to hold his son tighter to him, but there was no longer anyone in his arms. He screamed, terrified. Then he screamed again. "N-No! No! Please! Please, please, please, no! Oh God, p-please!"_

_He was backing away now, crawling backwards on hands and feet trying to get away from the monster in front of him – from the monster that was **not his son**! Oh, God. His son!_

_The man gasped in surprise when he bumped into something, twisting around and whimpering at the sight that met him. "V-Vlad!"_

_It was Vlad in his human form, though he did not have a long beard or such deep bags under his eyes. His blue eyes, though, were just as haunted as the earlier Vlad's had been. He was covered in mud, blood, and ectoplasm, and staring pleadingly at him._

"_Daniel... what have we done?" he choked out before dissolving into a puddle of ectoplasm. Danny's eyes widened and he lunged forward, hands clawing at the puddle as if trying to get some form out out it. All the while, he was screaming without reserve. For his mate, for his son, for anyone..._

Danny shot up in bed. He was quickly hyperventilating and could only gasp for breath, a hand covering his mouth and his eyes shut tight. He heard someone yelling at him in the background, but he was frantic and couldn't have listened if he tried.

The sudden assault of incense, peppermint, and the ocean made him take one last sharp inhale before a whimper died down in his throat and his eyes snapped open. The first thing he saw was a very worried and annoyed pajama-clad Vlad.

"Are you quite awake, now?" Vlad snapped irately. Danny stared at the man, his hands moving on their own and grabbing Vlad's face in between them. "...Daniel?"

The man turned Vlad's head this way and that, checking for blood stains and making sure the man was indeed real. As Danny calmed down, the man's eyes turned from their bright magenta back into their normal blue, making the spell disappear and allowing Danny to think clearly once more.

Once he began to do so, he realized that he was in bed, and that the horrible ordeal he had just gone through had been nothing but a nightmare. He realized with embarrassment that Vlad had been watching him toss and turn throughout his dream (Vlad had a strange knack of showing up whenever he had a nightmare, the creep). Then, he realized he was still holding the man's face.

In a second, he pulled his hands away as if Vlad's face had burned him and pressed himself into the headboard. He looked away to glare angrily at his comforter, a furious blush covering his face. He tried to come up with something to say but words failed him in this more than awkward situation. All the while, he could feel the other man's eyes burning into him, their sickening worry and _love_ all too clear in his mind.

An awkward silence passed between them, Vlad staring at the thrown-about comforter while trying to come up with something to say that wouldn't aggravate the younger man. He opened his mouth to ask the other hybrid if he needed anything, but was interrupted by yet another scream coming from the other end of the hall, obviously loud to have carried all the way into Danny's room.

Growling in frustration, Vlad quickly stood up and looked between Danny and the door. The younger hybrid was looking at him with pleading eyes, which Vlad understood all too well. They clearly said that Danny was not in any state to be dealing with Dan's nightmares on top of his own. It worried Vlad, but he appreciated the rare instance of trust and hastily made his way to his son's room.

As Vlad's footsteps receded, Danny relaxed a little. Still, the tension didn't leave him completely, his wide-awake brain jumbled with a plethora of questions and doubts. He had to fight the urge to barge into his son's room and check up on him after the wretched dream, considering the boy had just obviously awoken from his own nightmare and Danny wasn't in the best shape himself, on edge and still shaking despite what Vlad had done to calm him down.

Danny let out a long, weary breath and lay back in bed, staring at the ceiling as if it held all the answers.

And it was answers he needed, after that heart-stopping and shocking dream following such a trying day.

It wasn't the bits with Dan that worried him – those made him feel more nauseous than anything – but the parts involving Vlad. The man's recurring, if racy presence in his dreams was nothing new, but to lose him in dream form just as he'd lost his family and friends countless times was. He could only blame the day's incident with Valerie. Still, he blamed Vlad for the mating portions of it. Danny was sure that Vlad calling to him had been the thing to trigger that. Naturally, his thoughts then drifted to what had caused Vlad to be that desperate in the first place.

"Fuck!" he swore in frustration. "Fucking Valerie!"

He thought he could've had something with Valerie, something special and _normal_. But obviously, that was where he had gone wrong. There was no normal for him. There hadn't been normal for him since he had been a stupid teenager thinking it was a smart idea to mess around with his parents' inventions.

But then, whose fault was this whole mess? He could blame Vlad, but although he had pushed Danny over the edge on more than one occasion, he hadn't been the one to think getting into such dangerous territory would be a good idea. Danny had been simply flirting with disaster whenever he'd tried to get together with Valerie in the past, so why should it have been any different thirteen years later? Ah, lucky thirteen. Of course. Especially considering the fact that things were so much more complicated on his side now than they were back then, and that was saying something.

That should have been his first clue. The second should have been the secrecy. That was mostly his fault, too. He gave her the idea, and she decided it'd be wonderful to just go with it for a little bit longer. But secret upon secret piled on top of each other like they all had been – just what was he _thinking_? His and Vlad's ghost sides, his relationship with Danielle, his son's real mother and father, his apparent ability to birth ghosts... geez, he didn't even know how he was able to keep up with it all on a daily basis!

Now that everything was over and he was able to put it into perspective, he realized what a horrible match he and Valerie were for each other. Valerie had her own secrets, after all, and they were distinctly more vicious and dangerous than all of his own combined, if only because of the grudges and revenge she'd been harboring for half her life. Was he really that desperate to get Vlad out of his head that he would not only get himself into such a situation but at the risk of a valuable friendship?

...Yes. He was.

A sick feeling settled into his stomach, and he gave a shaky sigh. It had never been Vlad's fault! It was his own! And in that situation, he'd placed them _all_ in danger. His son had gotten hurt – in more ways than one – and the father of his child could've potentially gotten killed if it wasn't for...

_That stupid bastard called me_, he thought with spite that seemed unwittingly bittersweet. _Just like Dan_.

And it had indeed been just the same. The feeling had been just as surreal, intense, and painful as when Dan would constantly call for help as a baby. It was the same as when Dan had contacted him and Vlad through their familial core energy link, not even a year ago when a classmate had trapped him in a cramped art museum storage room with a human-ghost shield (courtesy of city upgrades by the new mayor and, of course, the Red Huntress).

Then there were the very words that had uncontrollably flooded his mind then, that had come from his very mouth. To protect his "family, offspring, and mate." Three words which he didn't dare think unless they were under a scientific pretense. He never wanted to consider anything with Vlad a family, and the other two were primitive and self-explanatory. But that didn't erase the circumstances, nor what had caused everything to come crashing down as it had.

"Vlad's my mate," he said to himself, a humorless laugh which was more of a scoff escaping him. Through the unease and defeat, he thought he also felt a sliver of relief.

_Glad to hear we're finally on the same page, where acceptance is concerned._

"Shut up!" Danny snapped at the little voice that had taken to contradicting him in his internal dialogues.

_You're talking to yourself, you know._

"No, I'm not. I'm talking to my ghost side which has made itself persistently more annoying."

_We're the same person!_

"We're obviously not!"

He almost heard the internal sigh that followed his words echo in his head.

_If you say so. But **please** let's just keep the little admission that Vlad is your mate. Before you go crazy. Crazier. Whatever._

Danny was about to clamp up again as more thoughts about the billionaire surfaced, but he hesitated and instead sighed them away. He really was exhausted. Not just because of the fact that it was two-thirty in the morning, but also from all the lies and insane responsibilities he had to keep up with. He had scarce energy to deal with fighting with his ghost half as he had been for years.

Even after the accident, Danny had never pictured the best years of his life spent like this. Not a single detail fit into what he had thought would be his life at twenty-eight, from living with his arch-enemy who was also in love with him, to being a sixth grade teacher with meager pay, to having a son who was just a year shy of starting middle school.

Thoughts of his son brought a bucket of cold ice crashing down on his insides. He also would never have imagined himself failing a child of his like he had Dan. He had made a promise to keep his son happy and to teach him good, to keep him from any pain and suffering that he might encounter so that he would remain untainted by reality until Danny thought he was ready. But he'd made a lot of promises, hadn't he? And most of them, he'd either broken or was on his way to breaking through sheer individual fault.

Now, Danny was _convinced_ it was all his fault. If he hadn't brought Valerie into their lives like he had, Dan wouldn't have gotten hurt, right? After all, there might have been a chance that Valerie would forgive him if he hadn't gone so far with her. He'd still have her treasured friendship, and everyone would have remained unharmed. He was worse than the worst of Vlad, because Vlad was practically selfless when it came to Dan.

His human development classes in college had done nothing to make the Catch-30 stage of his life any less unpleasant, or his future any more stable. In fact, Danny would say that, at twenty-eight years old, he felt more like teenager than he ever had when he actually was one. Meanwhile, his ghost side was reaching the stage of full maturity, reaching its full potential and becoming more detached from his human side than ever before. Running into the Fenton Ghost Catcher a few months ago had proved that.

He couldn't imagine the same thing had happened to Vlad. Vlad Plasmius may be psychotic, narcissistic, manipulative, and whatever other adjectives Danny cared to throw in there – but he was not indecisive, and he was not unsure. It was obvious to Danny that Vlad's two sides were perfectly in sync with each other. So why couldn't he have the same? Was it his fault, or his ghost side's? The way things were going, the answer leaned unfavorably towards Danny _Fenton_.

A door slammed in the hallway, followed by Vlad's frantic voice. Danny shut his eyes. With a shake of his head and a sigh, he called up green ectoplasm, opening his eyes to stare at it in hopes that the soft green glow would ease him into sleep once again.

His door creaked open, and Vlad peeked his head in. Danny was about to ask if Dan was alright, but Vlad beat him to a similar question. "Are you alright in here, Daniel?"

Worry creases lined his face, even through the darkness, as Danny's ghost vision let him see. Vlad was worrying over Dan. Over _their_ son.

"Yeah," he croaked in a strained voice. "I'm fine. Just trying to fall asleep again."

He snuffed out the ball of ectoplasm before straightening the covers and staring up at the ceiling as he'd been doing for the past several minutes. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Vlad take a step forward, before he seemed to change his mind and withdrew again into the hallway.

"Alright, then. Try and get a some sleep. I'll check up on Dan later. Goodnight, little badger."

The door closed, but Vlad's suffocating presence remained in the room.

In that moment, he realized that he didn't just fear his ghost side. For so long, he had thought his steely resolve lay in remaining true to himself, to his human side first and foremost, and in not giving in to his powerful ghost half. But in reality, he realized that much beyond that, he feared his mating instincts which Phantom signified. He feared the ghost in the back of his mind. He feared Vlad and the relationship they were allegedly supposed to have.

He feared what they were able to create together, and he feared that he would not be able to keep that intact.

* * *

His father was on his bed not thirty seconds after he had woken up, a scream torn from his throat and tears rollling down his cheeks.

"M-Ms. Gray! Jenna!" he cried on instinct, the last remnants of his troubling dream before he began to get his bearings. His father growled next to him.

"First your mother and now you. I'll kill that wretched woman! No doubt that ordeal was enough to give anyone nightmares!" Vlad ranted under his breath as he rubbed Dan's back.

The boy took a moment to calm down, though he instantly panicked again when his dad's words hit him and reminded him of the reasons he'd had the dream he'd just awoken from.

Dan's nightmare had begun as it always did, but it quickly descended into something right out of his current life, much less terrifying yet more troubling at the same time. Valerie shooting at him, giving an ultimatum, telling him he could either give up his ghost half and be friends with Jenna or he would have to be locked away so he would never come into contact with her.

"But I'm a ghost, too! I don't wanna be just human!" he remembered pleading.

"Too bad, then. I'll just destroy all of you!" Valerie had said.

"Yeah," Jenna had said, suddenly besides her mother. "Ghosts are scum, Dan. They don't even need friends! Just be human so we _can_ be friends!"

And when he'd continued pleading, Valerie had literally pulled the ghost right out of him and ripped his ghost side apart molecule by molecule. He didn't remember the circumstances or the place, but he remembered the disgusted voices of ghosts he knew, telling him that there was no use helping a weak human who could not control his weaker emotions. Then everyone had turned into monsters, making fun of him and closing in. And that's when he had woken up.

Dan shook his head, the feeling of his dad's arms wrapped around him making him inexplicably panic even more. For some reason, he felt like he couldn't – _shouldn't_ be taking comfort like he was. So he pushed Vlad away with as much force as his ten year old human self could muster.

"Dad, are we ghosts or humans?" Dan asked in a single breath.

The eldest half-ghost looked shocked for a second, surprised that his son would push him away after a nightmare. It wasn't like Dan at all. "Son, what's wrong?"

He made to put an arm around the boy again, but Dan flinched back and looked at him with a steely glint in his eyes. "Are we ghosts or humans?" he repeated.

Vlad shook his head in confusion at the odd question – or at least odd for the current circumstances. "You know we're hybrids, Dan -"

"No! We're either human here because people want to hurt ghosts, or we're ghosts in the Ghost Zone because humans don't belong with ghosts! The only one they call a halfa is Mom!"

"What are you talking about, Dan?"

Dan deflated. Truthfully, he had no idea. He had never felt so confused in his life! He didn't even know what he was confused about, and it made him frustrated to the point of tears. For some reason, he also felt frightened of his confusion.

"We are both human and ghost, son," Vlad began gently. "In some ways, we're blessed to be part of both of these. Ghosts don't get the rich lives and opportunities humans do, and humans obviously don't have the powers and joys that come with being a ghost."

The boy sighed and bit his lip, lying back down on his bed and facing away from his father. "Then why do we have to pretend we're not ghosts to other humans? Like the dumb kids at school and Jenna's mom?"

Vlad stiffened. Leaning over his son and petting the boy's head, he answered, "We've gone over this before, and unfortunately that answer still hasn't changed. People just wouldn't _understand_ -"

"Well, why don't they just try to understand?"

The man sighed wearily. "That's just how humans are, _lapushka_. There's no way around it."

"B-But why? I don't g-get it!" Dan snapped, fresh tears welling up in his eyes and running down his face. He grabbed the pillow next to it and held it tight, the huge bed feeling forboding in his distress.

Vlad grimaced at the sight, wanting nothing more than to make his son ignorant of the prejudice that they were doomed to live with. He never thought he'd _want_ his children to be unaware and unenlightened of human nature, to think good of the world like Danny was inclined to, but if this was the result of realism...

"I want Jenna's mom to accept us, and I wanna be Jenna's friend outside of school," Dan said in a demanding tone.

Suddenly, Vlad grew angry. "Alright, it's about time I said something. Ms. Gray has nothing to do with you, Dan, and now she has nothing to do with your mother, either. You are to forget about her. You can see your little friend in school, but you also have friendships outside of her – other ghosts, for instance -"

The young half-ghost sat up, almost knocking into Vlad in the process. "But you've always said I could have whatever I wanted if it made me happy! Well, for starting -"

"For starters," Vlad corrected.

"Whatever. I want Jenna to hang out with me like I can hang out with Box Lunch."

Vlad frowned in frustration. "I'm not going to say it again -"

"Then, I wanna be able to call you Dad in front of people and call Mom, Mom!"

The man paused, his every retort dying with his son's words as they struck a chord inside him. He wanted it as well, but it couldn't be helped. Dan knew that. "Dan, you know why we can't do that..." He sighed and ran a hand through his loose white hair. "I know it's hard to understand right now," he began gently, "but once you're older, things will start to make more sense."

Dan blocked out his dad's gentle voice as the man kept going. He looked away in a quiet huff, biting his lips and digging his fingers into his pillow. He was angry and frustrated. And where was his mom in all this? He didn't _want_ to talk anymore, he didn't want to hear his dad spout the same old things about understanding when he got older, when humans never understood anything no matter how old they got! He just wanted to curl up at his mother's side, to be comforted while things turned better and good like they were supposed to be.

"_You can't bring them back, so the least you can do is get rid of my feelings for them! You promised to help me, Vlad!"_

The strange words from an unknown conversation filtered through his mind as they sometimes did when he was under stress. He couldn't explain it, but the littlest half-ghost suddenly felt a surge of unadulterated rage and helplessness course through him. The anxiety welled up in his chest until it hurt to breath. All of a sudden, he didn't want his father in the room anymore. All of a sudden, he wanted to be alone. Alone for the rest of forever, forever and ever. He no longer wanted to see Jenna, or anybody else besides that vague longing for his mother. And why wasn't he in the room instead of his dad? Didn't his mom care about him anymore? Was he scared of his nightmares, more scared than usual?

"_Lapushka_, are you alright?"

Dan startled as his father placed a hand on his shoulder, and he looked up into the man's blue eyes. Dan suddenly became aware of the feeling of his eyes glowing red. But again, there came that longing to be alone. "Get out of my room!" he snapped before he even realized he'd thought the words.

Vlad's eyes widened at his son's forceful voice and demand. Before he could come up with anything, Dan had turned ghost and was pushing at Vlad's unmoving body. He frowned. "That's enough! Now, you're going to tell me what exactly is wrong! Son, I just want to help!"

The boy stopped, his glare more furious than ever. "Get out of my room! It's my room, and I don't want nobody else in it!"

"Yes, but it's my house and I'm your father! We either work this out or -"

Without warning, Dan bounded under the covers, his head buried under two thick pillows. And then he began to shriek something akin to his Ghostly Wail in pitch, his voice not carrying out far because of the pillows muffling it. Vlad winced and resisted the urge to cover his ears as the boy threw his tantrum, kicking the covers around with his flailing spectral tail.

"Daniel Vladimir Fenton-Masters, stop this right now or you'll be in more trouble than you can imagine!" His visage changed from angry to inherently worried when Dan only kept on screaming, only interrupted by the equally muffled sounds of coughing and half-hearted sobs. "Dan, just calm down. Dan, _please_ calm down."

"GET OUT!"

And Vlad did. He didn't know what else to do! His presence was obviously upsetting the poor boy, and all he wanted to do was stop his son's distress at this point! He spent some time pleading with his son from the hallway, wondering if Dan could even hear him through the closed door. Eventually, his sensitive ghost hearing picked up the sound of rustling covers through the thankfully quiet room, with no more screaming inside. Just the occasional sniffle. Vlad stared at the door in indecision before deciding to come check on Dan in five or ten minutes, after he made sure Danny was okay – and that he hadn't heard anything just now. It wouldn't do to have Danny angry at him for the disaster that comforting Dad had been.

Inside the bedroom, everything was plunged into silence the instant the door closed. Peeking his head out from under the covers, the lack of light became obvious and frightening. Previous feelings of animosity faded, and Dan realized too late that he didn't really want to be alone in the big, dark room.

He gasped as he saw a shadow move out of the corner of his eye – though it was only the gentle swaying shadow of a tree in the moonlight. He ducked his head under the covers again and conjured up a ball of ectoplasm, bathing the haven under the black and yellow Batman sheets in neon green light.

Dan suddenly couldn't help but want either of his parents with him again, just to get rid of the fear he felt which was making the ectoplasm in his hand flicker wildly. Not to mention the confused thoughts running through his head, all of them focused on the fact that _it wasn't fair_!

He'd known what a secret was ever since he could remember. He knew that secrets were more important than anything, that they had to be kept... well, secret.

But why?

Secrets were what had made Valerie mad – beyond mad, actually. And apparently, _everyone _had to have a secret. He'd always thought there were no secrets within his family, since there were already so many secrets they had to keep outside of it, but his mother had proved him wrong. His mother had been Valerie's _boyfriend_ without telling anyone. He was so confused, he just decided to ignore that angry and sad feeling that someone had done him wrong.

Now, at least _he_ understood that things were wrong, despite everyone telling him he never would until he got older. But nobody else besides him understood, now. Not his parents, not his classmates, not even his friends – ghost or human.

Dan sighed. "I don't even have any friends besides Jenna! And the ghosts don't want to be my friends because I'm not allowed to do the stuff ghosts do," he complained to the empty room.

That was it! If he were a full ghost, he would have more friends than if he were half-ghost. If his parents and him were all ghosts, they could live in the Ghost Zone and do whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted! They wouldn't have to keep any secrets, and they would be like every other ghost out there – only more powerful.

But he would've never met Jenna... Did that even matter anymore, though? Valerie had made herself clear, after all. And Jenna had other friends in school; they were really only so close because of the time they spent outside of the classroom, where Dan was free to be both a human and a ghost.

He was different, and different was a bad thing. But he didn't want to be different! He didn't want to be in between human and ghost if he couldn't be free to be both! He was even different from other ghosts, though. He'd heard his parents talking about it one day. All because of the nightmares he had and weird stuff he saw or heard in his head. In the movies, that would mean he was crazy, but his parents didn't think he was.

In fact, they seemed to know exactly what was wrong with him to be so different. They were his parents, after all. They knew everything... but they would never tell him any of it! Once again, it wasn't fair at all.

"I don't know why they can't just understand and make things better," he whined to himself, his speech slurred by the sleepiness that was quickly overcoming him yet again. He wasn't entirely sure who "they" were, as he began losing the battle to stay awake and alert in fear that something or someone would harm him in the darkness of the vast bedroom. With his eyes closed, he ventured to peek his head out from under the covers to escape the suffocating air underneath.

Dan felt the icy-hot red mist of his ghost sense drift out through his nose, but didn't bother to key into the energy signature. It was most likely his mom or dad. Maybe if he pretended to be asleep, they would go away and let him be...

_"I can be your friend, little one. I understand,"_ a voice whispered in his ear. Dan cracked his eyes open, and the last thing he saw through blurry vision before falling asleep was a glowing green luna moth sitting atop his bedroom dresser.

* * *

**End Notes:** Well, our favorite hybrids certainly have some tricky times ahead of them! Sorry if this chapter was on the boring side, but things are ready to pick up now! That last scene with Dan and Vlad took me at least two weeks to write where I didn't _completely_ hate it, I kid you not.

Valerie: Don't judge her too harshly. As I said to a couple reviewers, yes she's being... well, a bitch, but she's got a right (to some degree). She was in love with a guy who's lied to her about being what she hates most, while also having an intimate connection with the ghost she considers her worst enemy which also borders on infidelity. And I could keep going like that. Just saying, as far as humans or half-humans are concerned, there's not really a "bad guy" in this story or situation.

Danny and Vlad: Keep in mind that Danny still doesn't equate mates and lovers to be the same thing, so semantics are important here. But yes – progress is slowly but surely being made between the two.

"Running into the Fenton Ghost Catcher a few months ago had proved that." – Yup, you've got that one coming as a oneshot next. Finishing this up first helped me with it, I must say. And as the trend goes, it won't be nearly as serious as this chapter was, I assure you.

Psst... reviews make me squee with happiness and get me through my finals! ^.^


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